If you have purchased tickets to a concert or sporting event on Craigslist in the last ten months, you may find that you have been the victim of fraud.

Vancouver Police have arrested a man and woman accused of scamming individuals by selling fake tickets, and investigators believe there are additional people who are victims of these two suspects and also some 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 various 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 e-mail 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 these transactions:

  • a grey BMW
  • a brown Hyundai Elantra
  • a blue Honda Civic

Typically, at each meeting the driver would stay in the car while he waited for the woman to make the transaction. On several occasions, a small dog was observed in the back seat of the 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 the upcoming Taylor Swift concert this weekend, 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
  • Canucks
  • Grey Cup

Twenty-two-year-old Arielle Federation has been charged with personation, fraud, and offences related to forged documents. Thirty-year-old Colin Richardson has been charged with fraud and use of forged documents. They remain in custody until their next court appearance.

“There are many people who are involved in the sale of fake and fraudulent tickets,” says Constable Brian Montague. “The only way to ensure you are going to get to see the event you want is to buy tickets from a legitimate retailer.”

Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to this 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.