Police in Thailand have arrested five suspects in connection with an alleged BTS concert ticket scam ring, which is accused of defrauding over a hundred BTS fans of around 1.8 million baht (~$53,778.85). The alleged ringleader confessed to packing away 800,000 baht from the scam, which was then spent on overseas travel and luxury goods.

The five suspects’ surnames were all withheld, but the individuals range in age from 18 to 27. All were arrested under a series of warrants issued by the Min Buri Criminal Court on July 10. The suspects were apprehended in Bangkok and Surat Thani Province.

Among their charges are public fraud, jointly entering false information into a computer system in a manner likely to cause damage to the public, and opening or allowing others to use their bank accounts or electronic payment cards for criminal activities.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Smash the Scam: Busting the BTS Ticket Fraud Ring, kicked off after numerous fans reportedly fell victim to scammers following the announcement that global superstar K-pop group BTS would hold one of their reunion concerts in Thailand.

In total, 105 victims filed complaints with the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), with each having lost an average of 17,700 baht. Total damages exceeded 1.8 million baht.

Investigators found that the scams were all allegedly orchestrated through the same network. Authorities secured ample evidence in order to obtain court warrants in advance, which led to the arrest of all five suspects.

Some suspects claimed during questioning that they had been recruited through online job-seeking groups to receive and transfer money through online gift vouchers. They said they were told they were processing payments for pre-order purchases and earned between 200 and 2,000 baht per transaction. Only later did they claim to have learned that the money originated from the alleged ticketing scam.

The suspect who allegedly confessed to creating the fake social media profiles used to target victims admitted to receiving around 800,000 baht from the scam before spending all of it on overseas travel and luxury goods, including designer handbags. All suspects have been handed over to investigators from the Consumer Protection Police Division to await further legal proceedings.