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Ticket fraudsters busted

Anyone who purchased tickets to a concert or sporting event on Craigslist in the last 10 months may find they have been the victim of fraud.

Vancouver Police have arrested a man and woman accused of selling fake tickets, and investigators believe there are additional victims who may not yet be aware they have been duped.

Since October 2014, a significant number of people are believed to have purchased fraudulent Ticketmaster tickets from the pair for concerts and events at a variety of venues.

The tickets were all advertised for sale on Craigslist, and would-be purchasers made initial contact by email and provided a cell number to the seller. Communication then continued through text messaging to arrange a place to meet and conduct the sale. The meeting places varied from street-side to other public places, and even the buyers’ homes.

There were three vehicles investigators believe were used by the accused in the transactions: a grey BMW, brown Hyundai Elantra and a blue Honda Civic.

Typically, the driver would stay in the car while the woman made the transaction. On several occasions, a small dog was observed in vehicle.

On occasion, the female suspect allegedly used a stolen Irish passport in the name of Jenny Donoghue. It is believed she used the passport if asked for identification, or to gain the trust of the buyer. In other cases, the woman used the name Alex or Alexandria in her conversations with buyers. The man at times used the name James Hunter.

The fake tickets were sold to unsuspecting buyers for events like this weekend's Taylor Swift concert, as well as the following:

  • Disneyland 5-day Park-Hopper passes
  • Dooms Night 2014
  • Fleetwood Mac
  • Motley Crue
  • Book of Mormon
  • Marilyn Manson
  • AC/DC
  • Shania Twain
  • Lion King
  • Bette Midler
  • Sufjan Stevens
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Journey
  • Sam Smith
  • Vancouver Canucks
  • Grey Cup

Arielle Federation, 22, has been charged with impersonation, fraud and offences related to forged documents. Colin Richardson, 30, has been charged with fraud and use of forged documents. They remain in custody until their next court appearance.

“The only way to ensure you are going to get to see the event you want is to buy tickets from a legitimate retailer," said VPD Const. Brian Montague. 

Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to the pair of alleged fraudsters is asked to contact the VPD at 604-717-9858. Other cases of ticket fraud should be reported to your local police department.



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