Vancouver B.C. July 15 , 2013 Left out of the show-- Cade Baker 13, holds what turned out to be fake tickets to the "One Direction" concert in Vancouver next week, the scam has left many fans out of pocket and police investigating a growing file on the fake tickets. Though they can’t get into specifics, Vancouver police have confirmed that they’ve arrested a 16-year-old girl in connection to a similar incident.
Photograph by: Mark van Manen , PNG
After learning about fraud scams in her recent social justice class, 17-year-old Brooke Bartlett never thought she’ll be a victim of one.
Bartlett, who just finished high school, has been counting down to July 27 — the day when her favourite boy band, One Direction, performs in Vancouver.
So when the tickets she bought from a Craigslist seller for $150 more than the original price turned out to be fake, she made sure to report it to police.
“A couple of my friends have been scammed before and say there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Bartlett, who works part-time to save up for university and bought the ticket as a treat. “But I’ve worked hard to save up money for the concert and I think something should be done about this.”
According to the Port Moody teen, her report has helped police arrest the alleged scammer.
Though they can’t get into specifics, Vancouver police have confirmed that they’ve arrested a 16-year-old girl in connection to a similar incident.
“On July 8, police began investigation into a person that appeared to be selling fraudulent One Direction tickets on Craigslist,” said spokesman Sgt. Randy Fincham. “A 16-year-old female was arrested on July 12 following that investigation.”
Bartlett’s father, Geoff Bartlett, accompanied his daughter and a friend during the exchange early July. He described the seller, who called herself Jasmine, as “a young woman of Asian descent, possibly in her early 20s, with darker skin and black hair.”
After text messaging the seller, they met her near a waterfront hotel.
“She had this whole story about how the friend she’s going with had to go to Costa Rica so she couldn’t find anyone else to go with,” Bartlett said.
The seller handed two floor tickets for $500 and showed them the receipt.
“I was sure that it was real,” Geoff said.
Bartlett was ecstatic about the purchase until her mom pointed out that the ticket’s print date was February 2013 instead of April 2012, the only time the sold-out ticket was released.
After finding a similar Craigslist ad selling the same tickets, they immediately contacted the number listed. When the seller said the tickets were still available, they knew they’ve been cheated.
The father and daughter approached the police, who they said performed a sting to catch the scammer.
According to Geoff, police reviewed security videos near where the exchange happened. They also scoured Craigslist for similar ads and after two attempts, were able to apprehend the same girl who sold Bartlett the fake tickets.
Shawna Baker had the same disappointing experience.
After religiously searching online for tickets for her young daughter and niece, the 36-year-old North Vancouver mom was delighted when she found a Craigslist ad that seemed legitimate.
She bought two floor tickets from the seller at $325 each. Baker was confident about the purchase since the seller produced a receipt from MoneyWay.
However, upon closer inspection, she also saw that the tickets had the wrong February 2013 print date and the debit card number used on the receipt was just a string of zeros.
“My daughter Cade sold her Taylor Swift tickets to buy One Direction and it was hard for me to tell her that she lost out on that concert too,” Baker said.
Baker’s story is almost the same as Bartlett’s up to the description of the seller. The only difference is that the seller was accompanied by a female friend and said a family trip to Honduras is the reason why she can’t attend the coveted concert.
One of the worst parts, Baker said, is that during the exchange, the seller said, “We’re going to help you guys out, because you’re also helping us.”
Jacqueline Peterson, Ticketmaster’s senior vice president of corporate communications, said incidents like these happen too often.
“People have become very good at counterfeiting,” Peterson said.
To avoid being defrauded, she said fans need to make sure to go through channels that offer money back guarantees.
For sold-out events, however, she recommended buying pre-sale tickets, approaching primary ticket providers or buying from fan clubs.
“The desire to go should not cloud good judgment,” Peterson said. “It’s ugly to say but it’s basic supply and demand.”
Bartlett and Baker know they will never get their money back but both hope a solution is developed to end the growing problem.
“There are more concerts like this and I’m thinking about other fans that might be scammed and that’s just so wrong,” Bartlett said. “We have to stop this kind of thing.”
Those who think they have been victimized by a similar scam involving One Direction tickets can contact the Vancouver Police Department’s financial crimes unit at 604 717 2569.
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