TQ Tickets Ltd is a company owned by Maria Chenery-Woods. Officially, it sold second-hand concert tickets, but the Observer magazine investigated the matter and publicized the company’s unfair practices.
They cheated fans on ticket sales. Years later, they pleaded guilty
Chenery-Woods came up with an idea for easy money. Using false data, she purchased large quantities of tickets for performances by best-selling artists. She invested in tickets to concerts, among others, of Ed Sheeran and Little Mix. Then tickets went to sites like Viagogo and StubHub at much higher prices.
It was reported in court that TQ Tickets sold tickets worth over 6.5 million pounds, or over PLN 33 million, to live music fans. Chenery-Woods, 54, and her partner, Paul Douglas, who was a year older, called themselves the “Queen and King of Tickets.” During a trial at Leeds Crown Court, they both pleaded guilty to fraud.
The fraudsters earned PLN 33 million in two years
According to prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford, the company managed to earn a huge amount in just two years. During this period, fraudsters obtained approximately 47,000 tickets by impersonating 127 customers. They used 187 e-mail addresses.
The prosecutor’s website The Guardian, from which we learn that the company also employed students who bought tickets under fictitious names and paid for them with various bank cards. Moreover, some of the tickets sent to buyers were fake. This often resulted in fans being disappointed when they were not allowed to attend events even though they had paid for them.
The company also sometimes sent buyers torn envelopes, which suggested that the ticket had been lost in transit or stolen. Others, instead of a ticket to a selected event, received a ticket to a completely different event.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
