Fergie's Tech Blog

Olympic Ticket Scam Mastermind Arrested

Jennifer Cooke writes on The Age:

Five people have been arrested in London including the alleged mastermind behind the Beijing online ticketing scam in which Australians and others around the world lost tens of thousands of dollars after buying but not receiving tickets for the Olympic Games.

Online customers from 60 countries were among those who paid for but did not receive tickets bought via www.olympicticketsbeijing2008.com, including the former NSW Opposition leader, Kerry Chikarovski, and the relatives of British olympic competitors.

Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced late last night, Sydney time, that the group, four men aged 41, 50, 51 and 54 and a 49-year-old woman were arrested, questioned and released on unconditional bail.

The arrests by members of the SFO and the Metropolitan Police Service are part of an ongoing investigation into a suspected online fraud by companies including Xclusive Tickets Limited and Xclusive Leisure & Hospitality Limited (XL&H) which are both in liquidation and allegedly linked to Terence Frank Shepherd, of Blackheath in London.

More here.

Note: Previous reports of bogus Beijing Olympics ticket websites here. -ferg

posted by Fergie @ 11/26/2008 05:40:00 PM