Taipei: The Taipei District Prosecutors Office on Thursday indicted 11 individuals accused of netting NT$43.54 million (US$1.33 million) via a sophisticated ticket scalping operation. According to the indictment, a husband-and-wife team -- a man, surnamed Liu, and a woman surnamed Chang -- began reselling tickets for popular concerts and sports events at inflated prices in 2016.
According to Focus Taiwan, Liu and Chang's operation expanded over time to include an online group promoting the reselling service with more than 50,000 followers, as well as a comprehensive network of accomplices. To meet the increasing demand, Liu and Chang recruited people for tasks such as registering for online ticketing systems using false identities and employing computer programs to bypass purchase limits.
The group also comprised social media managers, customer service agents, and ticket collectors. Liu managed the group's overall operations while Chang was responsible for its finances. Engineers who bypassed purchase limits by using computer programs to register hundreds of fake accounts simultaneously were paid between NT$500 to NT$1,500 per ticket.
Prosecutors revealed that the group illegally obtained 13,244 tickets for more than 22 events. Liu continued these activities despite penalties for scalping being severely increased by amendments to the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries Act in 2023.
The 11 individuals face charges including document forgery and providing fraudulent information when purchasing tickets to artistic, cultural, or sports events. Prosecutors are seeking sentences of no less than seven years for Liu and Chang, along with the confiscation of the alleged criminal proceeds from the 11 indicted individuals.