Scalpers Arrested for Exploiting Ticket Sales to Popular Concerts and Musicals
Oct 01, 2024
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The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Crime Prevention and Order Division announced on the 1st that they had arrested seven scalpers for violating performance laws. In addition to these violations, the police are also considering charges of obstruction of business and violations of information and communication network laws under the criminal code.
The suspects, identified as college students, job seekers, and soldiers in their 20s and 30s with strong computer skills, are accused of using macro programs from 2021 to August of this year to purchase tickets for high-demand concerts and musicals. They allegedly resold these tickets on secondhand markets to make profits for living expenses or pocket money.
While the general public faced wait times in the hundreds of thousands or failed to secure tickets, these individuals used macro programs to access reservation links within minutes, allowing them to secure numerous tickets. Macros automatically input specific commands repeatedly, increasing the likelihood of success compared to manual human efforts.
The suspects' estimated profits so far amount to around 130 million won.
The most expensive resale ticket was for actor Byeon Woo-seok's fan meeting in July. Tickets originally priced at 77,000 won were resold for as much as 2.35 million won. Tickets for Lim Young-woong's concert, regularly priced at 187,000 won, were resold for up to 800,000 won, and tickets for Na Hoon-ah's concert, originally priced at 143,000 won, were resold for up to 500,000 won.
In one case, 331 musical tickets were purchased, netting 100 million won.
Police investigations suggest that the total profits from these illegal activities may rise further.
silk781220@sportschosun.com
