Repeat offender gets jail for cheating 76 victims in Taylor Swift concert ticket scam
She gained more than S$110,000 and used the money to pay for meals, medical bills and other expenses.
Taylor Swift performing the first of six shows for the Singapore leg of her Eras Tour at the National Stadium on Mar 2, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Gaya Chandramohan)
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SINGAPORE: A woman has been sentenced to three years' jail for scamming 76 people into paying her for Taylor Swift concert tickets that she did not have.
Foo Mei Qi, 30, gained more than S$110,000 (US$81,000) from her scheme. No restitution has been made to the victims.
She pleaded guilty on Thursday (Feb 6) to an amalgamated charge of cheating the victims between June 2023 and February 2024.
Foo was previously convicted in March 2022 for similarly cheating concertgoers, and sentenced to 17 months in prison.
She reoffended shortly after her release. The judge said this suggested that she had not been rehabilitated and her previous jail term was not enough to deter her.
In the present case, Foo placed listings on Carousell purporting to sell tickets to Swift's Eras Tour concerts in Singapore in March 2024.
After the victims transferred payment to her, she ceased contact with them.
Foo did not actually have the intention or means to provide any of the tickets she sold. She had only 12 tickets, and these were already sold or promised to other buyers not among the 76 victims.
Foo also had two similar charges that were taken into consideration, with the amount in those charges adding up to more than S$8,800.
She sold tickets that were not genuine and valid to three other victims, who only found out on the day of Swift's concert, when they were not allowed to enter the venue.
She cheated another three victims into paying her for Bruno Mars concert tickets that they never received.
Foo admitted to using the money to pay for meals, medical bills, her family expenses and other expenses.
She was arrested on Mar 11, 2024 after multiple victims filed police reports against her.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng asked for at least three years' jail, arguing that Foo's present offence was a significant escalation from her previous conviction.
Foo's lawyer V Devaraj sought a jail term of 28 to 30 months, arguing that she had "voluntarily" surrendered to the police.
Mr Ng disagreed with this as Foo turned herself in only after multiple police reports had been made against her.
In sentencing, District Judge Paul Chan said that Foo's "criminal appetite" had increased in her present offence, which involved more victims and money.
He said it was significant that she was a repeat offender, and that her actions showed premeditation.
The punishment for cheating is a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine. As Foo's charge was amalgamated, she could have been given up to two times the maximum penalty.
Carousell suspended the sale of Swift’s Eras Tour tickets from Feb 23 to Mar 9, 2024, noting that ticket scams rose in the lead-up to her shows globally.
To avoid falling victim to such scams, the police advised members of the public to take precautionary measures such as avoiding making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller.
