A Port Coquitlam man has been arrested in connection with the sale of fake Justin Bieber concert tickets.
The arrest came after a mother and daughter from Westbank paid more than $600 for tickets from an individual on Kijiji, only to find out that the tickets for Bieber's Friday night concert in Vancouver were fake.
The Coquitlam RCMP were notified of the fraudulent transaction and with the help of the mother-daughter duo officers were able to identify and arrest the 38-year-old Giuseppe Farinella. They believe he may have sold more fake tickets before the concert and are asking anyone who purchased tickets from Farinella, who also went by the names Joey or Troy, to call police at 604-945-1550 and quote file number 2016-7605.
"We want the public to be aware of the risks when purchasing tickets from online re-sellers and to take every precaution to ensure the tickets they buy are in fact real," said Const. Jamie Phillipson. He suggested arranging to meet a ticket re-seller at the RCMP detachment, which is open seven days a week. "If nothing else, it may deter would-be fraudsters from selling tickets."
Many "Beliebers" were caught up in ticket scams; the Vancouver Police Department also said they received several complaints from fans whose tickets wouldn't scan once they arrived at Roger's Arena.
Coquitlam RCMP offered some tips to ensure everyone gets to their sought-after show:
• Purchase from an authorized ticket distributor or the box office. Tickets may be more expensive but that extra cost can guarantee the legitimacy of the sale.
• Before exchanging money, try to verify the ticket number through an authorized dealer.
• If you decide to meet with someone you don’t know to purchase tickets, do so in a public setting such as a shopping centre or a busy coffee shop.
• Never post a photo of your tickets online as someone could use that photo to print out duplicate tickets.
[email protected]
@spayneTC
