Duo arrested over online ticket scalping business
By Li Qian |
February 13, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TWO people have been arrested in Taiyuan, capital of the northern Shanxi Province for allegedly running a ticket scalping business.
Railways officials said their illegal business brought in 130,000 yuan (US$20,657).
The arrested pair, surnamed Zhang and Sheng, would buy railway tickets online on behalf of clients and charge commission of between 15 and 40 yuan.
Customer opted for the service out of convenience as it let them avoid the often time-consuming process.
To meet the requirement for real-name bookings, clients would give their personal data to the arrested pair.
The high-tech scalpers purchased more than 1,600 tickets on the Internet, illegally earning 26,000 yuan in commission, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The venture was uncovered during a routine ticket check on three passengers traveling to Shenyang City. Their tickets were found to have been resold with surcharges of 118 yuan by an information company in Shuozhou City.
Taiyuan railway officials raided the company last week, confiscating a client information book and 58 vouchers, Xinhua said. The investigation is ongoing.
According to railway police, while in the past scalpers hired people to queue and buy tickets which they sold on, many now buy on the Internet.
A real-name booking system was introduced to curb scalping, but 6,900 scalpers were still arrested and 65,000 tickets seized during this year's Spring Festival rush, the Ministry of Public Security said.
In comparison, a total of 1,083 individuals suspected of rail ticket scalping in 1,013 cases across the country involving 196 gangs were arrested in September 2011, reported Xinhua, citing Ministry of Railways information.
Railways officials said their illegal business brought in 130,000 yuan (US$20,657).
The arrested pair, surnamed Zhang and Sheng, would buy railway tickets online on behalf of clients and charge commission of between 15 and 40 yuan.
Customer opted for the service out of convenience as it let them avoid the often time-consuming process.
To meet the requirement for real-name bookings, clients would give their personal data to the arrested pair.
The high-tech scalpers purchased more than 1,600 tickets on the Internet, illegally earning 26,000 yuan in commission, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The venture was uncovered during a routine ticket check on three passengers traveling to Shenyang City. Their tickets were found to have been resold with surcharges of 118 yuan by an information company in Shuozhou City.
Taiyuan railway officials raided the company last week, confiscating a client information book and 58 vouchers, Xinhua said. The investigation is ongoing.
According to railway police, while in the past scalpers hired people to queue and buy tickets which they sold on, many now buy on the Internet.
A real-name booking system was introduced to curb scalping, but 6,900 scalpers were still arrested and 65,000 tickets seized during this year's Spring Festival rush, the Ministry of Public Security said.
In comparison, a total of 1,083 individuals suspected of rail ticket scalping in 1,013 cases across the country involving 196 gangs were arrested in September 2011, reported Xinhua, citing Ministry of Railways information.
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