BTS fans warned: Beware of ticket scammers

Police warned the public Wednesday against online concert ticket scams targeting fans of the South Korean boyband BTS following the arrest of an information technology worker in Manila.

Operatives from the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) arrested the 27-year-old suspect, identified as alias “Shai,” during a 22 July entrapment operation in San Lazaro, Manila.

The suspect, a resident of Tondo, Manila, faces charges of estafa in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, police said.

Maj. Gen. Wilson Asueta, director of the Anti-Cybercrime Group, said the arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by a 20-year-old woman.

The victim said she paid P14,200 for a ticket to a BTS concert scheduled in Bulacan in March 2027, only to discover the same ticket had been sold to multiple buyers.

According to police, the victim saw a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on 11 June offering extra BTS concert tickets for sale.

When the victim expressed interest, the suspect claimed two tickets were available for P14,200 each because a previous buyer had canceled. The victim transferred a P10,000 downpayment, with the remaining P4,200 to be paid during a planned 22 July meet-up.

On 17 July, another woman contacted the victim on social media, revealing that she had purchased the exact same ticket. The second buyer told the victim the suspect had offered and sold the identical ticket to several other people, prompting the victim to contact authorities.

Investigators launched an operation that led to the suspect’s arrest during the scheduled meet-up. Five additional victims who bought tickets bearing the identical seat numbers were also defrauded, Asueta said.

Because the fraud was committed using information and communications technology, the penalty under Philippine law increases by one degree, exposing the suspect to between six months and two years and four months in prison if convicted.

“Scammers continue to exploit the BTS fans by offering concert tickets online at cheaper prices,” Asueta said, urging the public to purchase tickets exclusively through authorized platforms and to avoid making advance payments to unverified online sellers.