Parent scammed out of MOP480,000 in concert ticket fraud via school chat group

A local middle-aged woman has fallen victim to an online scam involving a fraudulent concert ticket scheme orchestrated through a school parent chat group. The woman was defrauded of a total of MOP480,000 after being persuaded to make dozens of transfers over several months, believing she was purchasing exclusive concert tickets.

According to the Judiciary Police, the woman reported the case in the early hours of July 10. The scam began last August when she met a person claiming to be a police officer through a school parent chat group.

The alleged scammer claimed to have “special access” to popular concert tickets but insisted on avoiding face-to-face meetings, citing a “sensitive identity.” Trusting this claim, the victim transferred money dozens of times between August and November last year.

Despite repeated promises, the woman never received the tickets, and the scammer continued to make excuses and delay delivery.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Wong Ka Ki, deputy director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, warned parents to exercise caution when managing financial matters within private communication groups formed for convenience.

Wong stressed that while many parents use these groups to stay connected, handling money-related issues among members can lead to scams.

He reminded that schools communicate official information only through formal channels such as handbooks and homeroom teacher phone calls, urging parents to report immediately to their schools if they suspect unauthorized individuals have infiltrated these groups.

Meanwhile, Vong Kuoc Ieng, vice president of the Chinese Educators’ Association of Macau, expressed concern about fraudulent activity infiltrating school communication platforms.

According to a report by the Macao Daily, he said school-parent groups are intended solely for educational communication, not for financial transactions or product promotion.

“With the rise of digital communication tools, many schools have established class chat groups for sharing important information between teachers and parents,” Vong said. “However, lately there has been a surge in inappropriate activities within these groups, ranging from product advertisements to ticket resales and even money-lending requests.”

Vong warned that these activities not only fall outside the intended purpose of such groups but could potentially constitute illegal commercial activity or fraud. lv