Mumbai: College youth duped with fake Coldplay tickets

The scammer, during a WhatsApp call, claimed that the available passes ranged from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000. File pic/X

While the Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is investigating allegations of ticket scalping related to the British band Coldplay's concert, the city police are now receiving complaints about fake tickets being sold by cyber scammers. These scammers are reportedly listing their contact numbers on Google and the dark web. One such complaint was lodged at Chunabhatti police station by an 18-year-old college student, who claimed to have booked 24 tickets worth Rs 2,17,500. However, the email confirmation he received, purportedly from BookMyShow, turned out to be fake.

According to the FIR registered with the Chunabhatti Police, a case has been filed under Sections 66(c) and 66(d) of the IT Act. The complainant, identified as Virendra Jain, a resident of Chunabhatti, lodged the complaint on October 3.

In his statement, Jain said that on September 24, while searching for tickets to the Coldplay concert scheduled for January 2025, he found a contact number on Google claiming to sell tickets. He proceeded to book the tickets and made a payment of Rs 7,000 via UPI.

"I was excited about the concert and, after finding this contact on Google, I made the payment. My friends, who were also looking for tickets, asked about it, so I shared the number with them to book theirs as well. Altogether, we purchased 24 tickets, paying a total of R2,17,500," Jain told mid-day.

The FIR further mentions that the passes Jain received via email came from the address confirmation@book-my-show.co. "One of my relatives noticed the email ID and pointed out that it seemed suspicious. That's when we realised the passes might be fake and approached the police to file the FIR," Jain said.

According to Jain, the scammer, during a WhatsApp call, claimed that the available passes ranged from R7,000 to R15,000. Trusting the information, Jain proceeded to book the tickets. Meanwhile, the EOW, which is conducting a preliminary inquiry (PE) based on the complaint filed by advocate Amit Vyas, has received some data from BookMyShow, including server information used for booking the tickets.

"We have asked specific questions to BookMyShow, including details about the computers and servers involved in selling the tickets, as well as information on the payment transactions they received from individuals who purchased them. Some details have been provided, and our team is currently examining them to determine if there is any connection between the tickets sold by BookMyShow and those available on other platforms at different prices," an EOW officer said.

In addition to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the Vile Parle Police have filed a case against an unknown individual for selling tickets on the black market. The FIR does not name anyone specifically, but BookMyShow has identified 30 individuals, including Viagogo, claiming they were involved in the illegal sale of tickets. Sources within the EOW expressed surprise at the FIR, as they were already investigating BookMyShow, which is now listed as the complainant in the case.

Advocate Vyas raised serious concerns regarding the FIR filed by the Vile Parle Police. He said, "I suspect this is an attempt by BookMyShow to shift the focus onto minor black marketers, thus diverting attention from its own involvement. I am also puzzled by the urgency with which the Vile Parle Police registered an FIR on a matter already under investigation by the EOW, particularly given that it appears to be an economic offence exceeding R10 crore. This raises questions about administrative propriety, and I hope higher authorities take note of it."

24
No. of tickets purchased by the student

‘Assessing cancellation of tickets being sold unethically'

Online ticket aggregator BookMyShow said on Friday that it is assessing the potential cancellation of tickets that are being sold "unethically."

"We remain vigilant in monitoring such instances of ticket reselling for this tour through black market channels and will continue to share all relevant information with the authorities to ensure appropriate action is taken. BookMyShow is assessing potential cancellation of such tickets that are being sold unethically," said the official spokesperson of BookMyShow. "Our stance remains clear and unchanged. BookMyShow vehemently condemns and opposes ticket reselling, which is deemed illegal and is punishable by law in India," the spokesperson added. "We have provided details to the police of all resellers that have come to our attention, including independent individuals reselling tickets for this tour across social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and beyond, as well as digital platforms such as Viagogo, Stubhub Holdings, and more, to aid authorities in a thorough investigation."