41 people lost $203k in ‘Filmgo’ movie ticket buying scam

SINGAPORE – At least 41 individuals fell prey to a movie ticket buying scam and lost a total of $203,000 this month.

The Singapore Police Force said on Thursday (Nov 25) that the scam was linked to companies with “Filmgo” in their name.

Victims were invited to participate in a job commission scheme over messaging platforms such as MiChat and WeChat.

Filmgo Production and Filmgo Digital were part of the scheme that tricked the victims into thinking they could earn a commission by buying and selling movie tickets.

Those who fell victim were directed to create accounts on Filmgo websites, where they were asked to download mobile applications to use the service more conveniently.

They would then be required to top up their accounts in order to fund the purchase of the movie tickets and to receive commission from ticket sales.

Scammers provided the victims with bank accounts belonging to individuals of unknown identity for payments to be made.

As their Filmgo accounts indicated that commissions could only be earned after completion of the job, the victims were convinced of the legitimate nature of their work.

They realised they were scammed after trying and were unable to withdraw funds from their accounts.

An Internet search conducted by The Straits Times revealed that Filmgo Digital is a sole proprietorship with its business activity listed as a wholesaler of electronic components.

The company is listed as having been created on Nov 5.

The police would like to advise the public not to accept dubious job offers that promise lucrative returns for minimal effort, to avoid downloading applications from unverified sources, and to not send money to anyone they do not know or have not met in person.

For more information on scams, the public can visit Scam Alert’s website or call the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.

The public are also advised to call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 if they have any information about a crime, or to submit it online at Singapore Police Force’s website.