Man held over ticket con in mirror mania

A 20-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to sell two fake concert tickets to shows of popular boy band Mirror for HK$10,000.

The buyer, a 29-year-old woman, met transportation worker So Man-lok at Cheung Sha Wan MTR station at 10pm Sunday as part of the arrangement for the sale, but the woman suspected the tickets were fake and an argument ensued.

It is understood the two made contact through Facebook.

In the meeting, the woman, accompanied by her husband, handed over HK$10,000 to So, who was in the paid area of the station, after he passed her an envelope purportedly containing two tickets.

Sources said the tickets were photocopies and upon seeing them, the woman confronted him about their authenticity.

The woman managed to wrest back HK$3,500 back, but So fled with the remaining HK$6,500.

She gave chase, with So soon dropping a bundle of cash. The woman succeeded in retrieving HK$6,000 more.

She reported the incident to the police, with MTR officers helping catch So. He was arrested for obtaining property by deception and possessing false instruments.

Police also seized four more suspected fake concert tickets from So.

The case is being handled by Sham Shui Po officers. As of last night, the suspect was still being detained.

Mirror manager Wong Wai-kwan, better known as "Ah Fa," said she hoped fans would buy tickets from official channels and "say no to scalpers."

Asked if tickets will be sold under real-name registrations, Wong said her team is looking into the feasibility of doing so.

The dates for official ticket sales have yet to be set, but credit card companies have begun early-bird sales for account holders.

The tickets were for popular male idol group Mirror, who are hosting 10 concerts at the 12,500-seat Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom from July 25 to August 4.

The announcement set off a rush for tickets throughout the city, attracting scalpers who were offering front-row tickets for up to HK$440,000. The tickets are originally priced at HK$1,280, HK$880 and HK$480.

Scalping is illegal under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance, which states it is an offense to sell, offer for sale or solicit purchase of fixed-price tickets at licensed venues, with a penalty of HK$2,000 applicable.

But scalpers are not deterred by the law as it does not currently cover most public venues, including the Hong Kong Coliseum and those managed by leisure and cultural services and home affairs departments.