On 17 November 2023, the Central Jakarta Police apprehended Ghisca Debora Aritonang as the primary suspect in the Coldplay concert ticket fraud. A 19-year-old college student, the suspect managed to acquire IDR 5.1 billion by selling 2,268 Coldplay tickets.
Following the Coldplay concert on 15 November 2023 numerous attendees couldn’t access the concert area due to invalid tickets. Kombes Susatyo Purnama Condro stated that Ghisca has been a concert ticket reseller for multiple international musicians since 2022.
Chronological Breakdown of the Jakarta Coldplay Ticket Fraud Involving Ghisca Debora
May 2023
The Coldplay ticket scam commenced in May 2023 when the promoter initiated the presale to the public. At this point, she began advertising concert tickets on social media and encouraged other resellers to purchase large quantities of tickets from Ghisca.
Ghisca’s guise was that she claimed to have insider connections with the promoter, assuring buyers of the ticket’s validity. Consequently, numerous resellers ended up purchasing tickets in bulk, reaching hundreds of tickets. During the press conference (20/11/2023), Ghisca stated that she profited approximately IDR 250,000 from each ticket.
November 2023
On 14 November 2023, a Twitter account with the handle @__aqshal posted about a fraud syndicate in Ghisca Debora’s name. This tweet reached 6.6 million people, triggering intense outrage among Indonesian netizens who were unable to attend the Coldplay concert due to their invalidated tickets.
hidup lagi cape-capenya, dapet kabar ade sendiri kena tipu tiket Coldplay … turns out the lady who’s behind it has successfully scammed about Rp. 15.000.000.000.000.
juara sih lo, Ghisca Debora Aritonang. pic.twitter.com/NQwgMNFazr
— shalissa 🇵🇸 (@__aqshal) November 14, 2023
Shortly after this tweet surfaced, deceived resellers took action and filed reports with the police to locate Ghisca. As this incident gained traction online, hundreds of individuals expressed that this wasn’t Ghisca’s first instance of fraud.
Numerous victims of Ghisca Debora circulated multiple pieces of evidence showcasing Ghisca’s fraudulent activities. It’s been revealed that Ghisca concocted a new narrative to deflect blame, implicating another individual as the key decision-maker at the promoter’s end.
Additional evidence indicates that Ghisca utilized the IDR 5.1 billion for personal indulgences, including purchasing luxury items, gambling, and extravagant expenses.
Ghisca faces charges under Article 378 and Article 372 of the Criminal Code, carrying a potential four-year prison sentence. Despite the arrest and imprisonment, numerous individuals remain unsatisfied and continue to demand compensation for the Coldplay ticket purchased from the suspect.
