Malaysian Coldplay fans denied entry after hours of queueing, lose US$14,700 in ticket scam

MALAYSIA: The prevalence of scalping is well-known, and concert attendees have been repeatedly cautioned against purchasing tickets from scalpers or resellers due to the potential for higher prices or, worse yet, the risk of invalid tickets.

Despite numerous reminders from official websites and authorities, instances of concertgoers being denied entry to venues due to invalid tickets continue to occur.

In a recent occurrence, the British rock band Coldplay staged a concert at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on 22 November as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour.

The event drew a crowd of over 85,000 fans eager to attend Coldplay’s inaugural concert in Malaysia.

However, reports surfaced on social media as several individuals shared their experiences of being scammed and subsequently denied entry to the venue.

One of the victims of the scam took to his TikTok account to document and share the unfortunate incident, along with his friends who had purchased tickets with him.

The individual, known as “Abg.Supra” on TikTok, revealed that they incurred a loss of approximately RM70,000 (approximately US$14,700) because the tickets purchased from an individual could not be used to access the concert space.

According to him, they were part of the crowd that had been queuing outside the stadium since early morning.

However, just as they were about to scan their tickets, the staff informed them that their tickets were invalid.

“We have been scammed. Our tickets are not valid.”

Surprisingly, despite being denied entry, he added with a happy and composed demeanor, “So, let’s go to the Singapore concert instead.”

In the video, he included captions stating, “We just had to listen to the concert from outside the stadium” and remarked, “Can ‘feel’ the concert,” as the booming sound of music from inside the stadium could be heard even from outside the venue.

According to his responses to comments from fellow users, he purchased Grouping tickets with his friends, including some VIP tickets that exceeded RM3000 in cost, as well as tickets priced at RM758 and RM598.

“In total, it amounts to approximately RM60,000 to RM70,000,” he revealed

The unfortunate experience shared on social media garnered mixed reactions from netizens

The incident has triggered a range of responses from netizens.

One user shared a similar unfortunate experience, recounting, “We bought four standing tickets. But only three of us could enter; another ticket had been redeemed by someone else.”

When another user expressed hope for a refund, the response emphasized that the most distressing part was not the monetary loss but the realization of the ticket invalidity just as they were about to enter the venue.

A different netizen observed the video uploader and friends maintaining a cheerful demeanor despite the invalid tickets, while also expressing good wishes for them to secure the best seats at the Singapore concert.

Additionally, there were recommendations for the affected individual to file a police report.

Conversely, some online users admonished the group for purchasing from resellers, citing previous incidents of a similar nature.

One commenter highlighted the repeated reminders from organizers to avoid buying tickets from third parties, lamenting the persistence of such incidents despite official warnings.

“Organizers have reminded many times not to buy tickets from third parties, yet there are still stubborn people who end up getting scammed.”

@thedrproperty

Boleh laa buat raso raso #coldplay #fypシ

♬ original sound – Abg.Supra – Abg.Supra

Coldplay concert ticket scam in Indonesia

On 16 November, the Jakarta Central Metro Police exposed a concerning scam involving concert tickets, resulting in a substantial loss of Rp 1.3 billion (approximately US$83,876).

Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro, Chief of the Central Jakarta Police, revealed that nearly 400 tickets for the highly anticipated Coldplay concert were fraudulently sold, leading law enforcement authorities to initiate an ongoing pursuit of the perpetrator.

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at the Jakarta Central Metro Police, Commissioner Chandra Mata Rohansyah, clarified that victims had purchased tickets from resellers, who, in turn, had obtained them from the alleged scammer.

Subsequently, on 20 November, the Jakarta Metro Police apprehended a 19-year-old individual, Ghisca Debora Aritonang, accused of orchestrating the ticket scam associated with the Coldplay concert in Jakarta.

Ghisca, an inactive student at Trisakti University, has been formally identified as the central figure in this case and is presently in police custody.

Ghisca purportedly deceived victims by falsely claiming connections with concert promoters, despite no communication with intermediaries between May and November.

The police confirmed that Ghisca independently orchestrated the Coldplay concert ticket fraud for the first time.

There is currently no information suggesting fraudulent activities for concerts other than Coldplay, and the police have not identified any accomplices in the ongoing case.

The investigation is in progress as authorities delve into the full scope of Ghisca’s activities and explore the potential involvement of others.