A wave of ticket scams is sweeping Hong Kong’s second-hand trading platforms, with sellers using an identical story to defraud buyers, according to Sing Tao Probe, a sister publication of The Standard.
The scam came to light after a user on a local forum shared his experience trying to buy a HK$230 ticket for a Manchester City versus Inter Milan match, part of the “Hong Kong Football Festival.”
The seller asked if he was a “true fan” and offered the ticket at “original price,” even though the minimum official price of the ticket was HK$399.
When the buyer asked why the seller priced it so low, the seller said he was admitted to hospital for an intravenous drip and could no longer attend.
The buyer was suspicious and took to social media seeking advice, jokingly asking: “I'm preparing to do a deal at the hospital. How should I plan this?”
The post quickly drew responses from users who had encountered nearly identical stories. Whether the tickets were for the same football match, MAMAMOO concerts, or other events, the sellers all used the same script: they were hospitalized, unable to meet in person, but would provide a QR code for buyers to collect tickets from self-service kiosks.
However, in most cases, the QR codes were fake, leaving buyers unable to collect their tickets after making payment.
One detail stood out: when buyers asked which hospital, the sellers all answered, “St. John Hospital.”
Many users suspected the listings were part of an organized fraud. Some noted that multiple accounts on different platforms were using the same excuse to sell tickets for the same events.
“I’m also preparing to make a deal at the hospital,” one user wrote. The original poster replied, “Looks like we need to schedule the same visiting hours.”
