Blackpink fans lose SS$26,000 to ticket scams ahead of Singapore concerts
In just two weeks, at least S$26,000 (RM86,000) has been lost to scams involving bogus resale tickets to the K-pop girl group's upcoming shows on November 29 and 30 at the National Stadium.
According to a June 24 statement by the Singapore Police Force, there have been at least 18 reported cases where victims were tricked into paying for fake tickets advertised on platforms such as Telegram, Carousell, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook Messenger, Viagogo.com and Xiaohongshu.
Scammers often sweet-talked their victims with screenshots or videos of what appeared to be legitimate tickets or payment receipts.
They also claimed that tickets were in limited supply and had to be snapped up quickly — a tactic meant to pressure fans into making hasty payments.
Worse, when the tickets never arrived, some scammers doubled down, asking for more money on the pretext that earlier payments hadn't gone through.
Victims only realised they had been duped when the sellers disappeared.
This isn't the first time Blackpink's popularity has been exploited by scammers.
During the Born Pink tour in 2023, police received at least 128 reports of similar scams, with total losses reaching over S$206,000. Many of those affected were young Singaporean females aged 10 to 29.
The police have reminded fans that tickets for the Deadline concerts are non-transferable and non-resellable. Anyone caught with a resale ticket risks being denied entry to the concert without a refund.
To combat the scams, the police are working with platforms like Carousell, Facebook Marketplace and TikTok to remove suspicious ticket listings.
They also urge the public to download the ScamShield app and to only buy tickets through Ticketmaster, the tour's official ticketing partner.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
16 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa Fish Fry turnout low as Latinos, fearing ICE raids, withdraw from public
With tensions running high in Costa Mesa's Latino community — and as ICE agents were observed in town over the weekend — organizers of the annual Fish Fry in Lions Park reported record low attendance at this year's event. Hosted by the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club since 1946, the three-day affair typically draws up to 20,000 visitors to the city's west side with freshly prepared fish dinners and food trucks, live concerts and a full-size carnival with rides and games. While admission is free, proceeds from the attractions go to the club which, in turn, doles out grants and scholarships to many community organizations. In exchange, recipients volunteer at the fry, helping the 27-member club pull off what is its largest fundraiser of the year. But last weekend, Lions Park appeared relatively sparse compared to previous years and organizers say it's likely because many local Latino families are opting to stay home, as immigration activities ramp up throughout Orange County. 'We were missing a lot of Latino families who would normally come out for this,' Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions President Cabot Harvey said Tuesday. 'ICE was two blocks away at 19th and Newport, and we didn't know what they were gearing up for, but we were on the lookout. I spoke to several Latino families who told me the same thing — people were just too afraid to come.' While no formal tallies were kept, Harvey and other organizers estimated the turnout was about 25% lower than in recent years. The carnival area, typically teeming with children and families, was nearly vacant, with no lines at the many rides and game areas. Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds, who represents the 5th council district that includes Lions Park, said there have been increased ICE sightings in the area while the number of families who have had a loved one taken into custody continues to grow. 'Lower attendance at the Fish Fry, at summer school, at churches, at parks and in public generally is evidence of the real fear so many in our community feel,' Reynolds said Wednesday. 'It's an awful and unacceptable situation when community members don't feel safe at a longstanding community festival at their local park.' Harvey said diminished attendance means less proceeds for the club to share with the school athletic teams, clubs and organizations that rely on the annual revenue boost. The Fish Fry ordinarily brings in anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000 that then goes out to about a dozen different groups. 'We just don't want to lose money, because our fundraising goal is trying to get as much as we can to give back to the community,' he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
K-pop idol and former The Boyz member Ju Hak-nyeon found not guilty in prostitution case, vows legal action
SEOUL, July 2 — South Korean police have cleared Ju Hak-nyeon, former member of K-pop boy group The Boyz, of prostitution allegations following an investigation. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the Gangnam Police Precinct confirmed today that Ju's case would not be referred to prosecutors due to a lack of evidence. Police said the individual who filed the complaint against Ju had only submitted online news articles as evidence, which they deemed insufficient to continue the investigation. Ju's exclusive contract with agency One Hundred Label was terminated last month after Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun reported that he had met privately with Japanese model and influencer Asuka Kirara, who has previously worked in the adult film industry. Other reports accused Ju of engaging in prostitution, leading to a complaint filed on June 19 requesting a formal police investigation. At the time, One Hundred Label cited 'breach of trust' as its reason for ending Ju's contract. Ju has repeatedly denied the allegations of prostitution and illegal activities. He has said he will file a civil suit against the reporter and media outlet that first published the allegations, as well as pursue legal action against his former agency and the individual who reported him to the police. Ju debuted with The Boyz in 2017 and officially left the group earlier this year.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Winfield says K9 is up for adoption after injury
Plans by a Lakes of the Four Seasons woman to honor the memory of her late son haven't gone as she had hoped. When Marie Buckingham donated a K-9 trained black Labrador retriever named Ra to the Winfield Police Department three and a half years ago, she hoped he would remain there for some 10 years or until his retirement. Earlier this year, after Buckingham learned Rak was no longer at the Winfield Police Department, she came to the Jan. 28 Town Council meeting seeking answers and threatening possible legal action. Rak was not with the department but apparently was taken by his handler, Sgt. Stephen Garpow, who had resigned his position last year, according to town officials. 'I donated Rak out of the kindness of my heart. I did this to try and clean up the community and to keep drugs and alcohol off of the street,' Buckingham said. The Winfield Town Council earlier this week approved an indemnity agreement which will ultimately be signed by the person who ends up adopting Rak, if and when town officials get to that point, Town Council President Zack Beaver, R-at-large said. 'It's a standard agreement basically saying anyone who has him after the town is accepting responsibility for him after he's fostered or adopted,' Beaver said. Beaver said Rak had been kept until recently at the Hobart Humane Society but left the facility after receiving an injury to his tail. The dog is now being taken care of by a foster care family with future plans to have him adopted. Beaver declined to provide the name of the foster care family. 'He's healthy,' Beaver said of Rak but noted the dog would likely not be returned to police duty. Buckingham said K-9 dogs, like Rak, need a special diet and have to pass certification. 'He's not been trained since he was taken off the street in September. They've destroyed him,' she said. Beaver said it was conveyed to him that Buckingham didn't want Rak back but instead was seeking reimbursement for Rak, the $16,000 she raised for his purchase and K-9 training. Buckingham said she does want Rak returned to her since he is very similar to the black Labrador her late son had as his pet. 'Of course I would take him in,' she said. She said she is asking for some reimbursement since she is the one who sponsored the fundraisers including the selling of T-shirts and even the holding of a Rak motorcycle run. 'I paid $16,000 and he was only with the department for 13-14 months, so I deserve part of it,' she said. Buckingham said she had promised her son, Ryan Adam Kelly, 'you will never be forgotten' on his deathbed and just before he was taken off life support. She said she took up the cause against drugs after her son was hit from behind by an impaired truck driver on Nov. 19, 2010, while driving to work. Her son died six days later, on Thanksgiving Day, after spending nearly a week in a coma. Buckingham said she founded VOID Inc. Victims of Impaired Driving, the Ryan Adam Kelly Foundation early on after her son's death. Since the Jan. 28 Winfield Town Council, when Buckingham inquired about the dog's whereabouts and threatened possible legal action, communications have been between Brett Galvan, Buckingham's attorney, and town officials, including the town's attorney. 'Discussions are ongoing; he (Rak) is being safely fostered locally until a permanent resolution is achieved,' Beaver said. Galvan disagrees with that assessment. 'Negotiations are at a halt, but not for a lack of trying on our part,' Galvan said. Buckingham, on her part, just wants to know the whereabouts of Rak and to go forward with other charitable efforts. 'I did it to keep Winfield safe and in memory of my son and this is the way I've gotten treated. I still don't know where he (Rak) is,' Buckingham said. In a statement, from Galvan, he reiterated what Buckingham said: 'My client established this charitable effort in memory of her late son. She raised funds, acquired a dog, had it specially trained and dedicated it to the local police department to benefit the community. Throughout this process, she retained a significant ownership stake in the dog.' 'Her sole desire is to resolve this situation so she can continue her charitable work and find other ways to benefit the community in her son's name. It has been a difficult struggle for her to get cooperation from those she intended to help. We simply want a resolution that allows her to move forward with her charitable mission,' Galvan's statement said. Beaver said town officials, knowing Garpow had left with Rak, were actively trying to get the dog back. Garpow, who had been on paid administrative leave pending a disciplinary hearing, resigned at the end of December, town officials said. Garpow's name was brought up last fall during the murder trial of Raju Rawal, 67, of Merrillville, who was later found guilty of the death on Feb. 23, 2023 of Haley Losinski, 36, of Winfield. Garpow, as one of the first responding officers and an initial crime scene supervisor for the Winfield Police Department, was expected not to testify, according to a story published on Oct. 28 in the Post-Tribune. That was because Garpow was on leave and expected to be fired, lawyer Jeff Williams told Judge Natalie Bokota at that same hearing. Defense lawyer Kevin Milner said in court that Garpow was facing 'various allegations' including theft, according to Post-Tribune archives.
