Schoolgirl arrested for fraud in online concert ticket scam

A high school girl suspected of swindling 48 people out of cash for concert tickets over the Internet and using the money to go to concerts herself has been arrested, police said.

The 17-year-old girl, a resident of Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, whose name has been withheld because she is a minor, was arrested on suspicion of fraud. She has reportedly admitted to the allegations against her.

"I did it because I wanted money for concerts," she was quoted as telling investigators.

Police suspect the 17-year-old swindled about 48 people out of a total of about 650,000 yen between November last year and March this year, by pretending that she had tickets for concerts of the popular music and entertainment group Kanjani Eight.

The teen is specifically accused of posting a message on an Internet message board saying she had two tickets to a concert, and defrauding a 17-year-old high school girl who replied to her message out of some 12,000 yen.

Police said the teen used the money she swindled from victims to buy tickets for 15 Kanjani Eight concerts, and to purchase promotional goods. (Mainichi)