As incidents of scams related to purchasing tickets for BLACKPINK's concert in Hong Kong next year have surged, local police have issued a warning.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 16th, the police received a total of 200 reports related to online shopping scams last week.
In one case, a 25-year-old man was reported to have been scammed while trying to buy tickets for BLACKPINK's concert at Kai Tak Stadium next year.
According to the police, the victim saw a post on the social media platform Threads where someone was selling two tickets for the BLACKPINK concert, contacted the seller through the Instagram account, and transferred 4,900 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 850,000 won) to receive a QR code, only to be scammed.
The Hong Kong police stated that the total amount lost in similar cases has reached 5.5 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 960 million won) and advised that when making online purchases, it is best to meet in person for transactions and to cancel the transaction if any suspicions arise.
BLACKPINK, which enjoys global popularity, has faced issues with global ticket scams and resale problems every time they hold a world tour. During their solo concert held in Vietnam in 2023, a 'state of emergency' was declared for ticket scams, and in performances in Taiwan and Hong Kong, tickets originally priced at 370,000 won were sold for 17 million won, highlighting the prevalence of ticket resale scams.
BLACKPINK will hold a solo concert at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on January 24-25 next year. Tickets for the event sold out in just 90 minutes.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
