“Shocking” KBO Korea Series tickets sold for as much as “81,000 won to 8.93 million won”… Gang finally caught by police “When you look at the methods they used…”

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A group that used macro programs to bulk-buy tickets for KBO Korea Series games and popular idol concerts, then sold them as scalped tickets for profits of up to several hundred times the face value, was apprehended by police.

According to News1 and Yonhap News on the 2nd, the Cyber Investigation Division of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency has filed non-custodial charges against 24 individuals, both domestic and foreign nationals, including A, for violations of the Performance Act and other laws.

Police said the suspects are suspected of securing a total of 15,500 tickets to popular domestic idol concerts and the Korea Series by exploiting illegal macro programs and accounts registered in others’ names from an office equipped with 22 personal computers between 2022 and recently, then reselling them for approximately 2.2 billion won in illicit gains.

The group recruited buyers through social networking services (SNS) and used methods such as handing over tickets directly or shipping them individually via parcel in areas including Songpa and Mapo in Seoul, and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province.

In particular, they sold idol concert tickets with a face value of 200,000 won for 6.72 million won, a markup of 34 times. They also sold professional baseball Korea Series tickets with a face value of 81,000 won for as much as 8.93 million won, a markup exceeding 110 times.

Police successfully identified and apprehended A and others who were active on SNS through a special crackdown on crimes disrupting the cost of living in March.

Subsequently, after conducting account tracing and analyzing sales records, they completed pre-indictment forfeiture and preservation measures for assets totaling 209.9 million won, including land worth 500 million won purchased with criminal proceeds, as well as stocks and deposits.

They have also applied for forfeiture and preservation of an additional 102 million won in profits that were identified.

Additionally, they identified security vulnerabilities in the ticketing site and requested system improvements from the relevant management company.

In this regard, Prime Minister Han Seok-soo emphasized on his SNS on the same day, “A group that sold Korea Series tickets with a face value of 81,000 won for 8.93 million won, reaching 110 times the face value, has been caught,” adding, “Now you can no longer make money from scalping.”

He continued, “The sweat and passion of artists and athletes must never be exploited as an unfair means of making money, nor should fans who line up from dawn and refresh their screens dozens of times waiting for tickets suffer losses,” warning, “The government will strictly deal with scalping crimes that harm people’s livelihoods through a permanent crackdown system and recover illicit gains to the end.”

Incheon Metropolitan Police Chief Yoo Seung-ryeol also stated, “Bulk securing of admission tickets and scalping are serious crimes that disrupt the order of performance culture,” reiterating a strong response policy toward the production and distribution of macro programs.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original