Woman charged with cheating Taylor Swift fan of $350 for concert tickets, believed to have scammed victims on Carousell of over $24,000
The accused was remanded at Woodlands Police Division for further investigations, and is scheduled to appear in court again on 19 March.
SINGAPORE — A 29-year-old Singaporean woman was charged in court on Tuesday (12 March) with cheating a Taylor Swift fan into paying $350 for tickets to the first of the US singer's recent shows in Singapore. It was reported that Foo Mei Qi is also believed to have scammed customers on the online marketplace Carousell of more than $24,000.
According to local media CNA, Foo is currently facing a single charge of cheating. Court documents said that she allegedly tricked another woman into transferring $350 to her via the PayNow platform on 13 September 2023, in exchange for tickets to Swift's concert on 2 March.
Swift concluded her six sold-out shows on Saturday. Singapore was the sole stop in Southeast Asia for her Eras Tour, following an exclusive deal secured with government agencies.
CNA reported that the police had received multiple reports between 3 and 7 March from individuals who claimed to have been cheated by an online seller advertising concert tickets on Carousell.
After receiving payment via PayNow or bank transfer, the seller allegedly failed to deliver the promised tickets and became uncontactable.
According to CNA, the police identified and arrested the woman on Monday, after follow-up investigations,
On Tuesday, a judge ordered Foo to be remanded at Woodlands Police Division for further investigations. She is scheduled to appear in court again on 19 March.
Individuals convicted of cheating can face fines or imprisonment for up to 10 years.
Concert ticket scams in Singapore cost victims at least $571,000
Earlier in March, the Singapore police said that a total of 25 men and 20 women were assisting with investigations for alleged involvement in concert ticket scams that have cost victims in Singapore at least $571,000 since the start of the year.
The suspects, ranging in age from 17 to 57, were rounded up during a nine-day operation from 26 February to 5 March, according to a statement from the police on 7 March.
In the first two months of 2024, at least 1,241 people have fallen victim to concert ticket scams, with many related to Swift's six-night performances at the National Stadium.
Members of the public with information on such scams are advised to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit it online at police.gov.sg/iwitness.
They can also reach out to scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688.
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