A homeless man who bought a single ticket to an Omer Adam concert managed to resell it dozens of times, making an estimated NIS 40,000 from unsuspecting fans.
According to Chief Inspector Smadar Mama, head of the cybercrime division in Israel Police's Northern District, 47 complaints were received from fans who arrived at Tel Aviv's Menora Arena only to be told that someone had already entered using their ticket.
"The cybercrime division launched an investigation," said Mama, "but locating the suspect proved difficult—he regularly swapped SIM cards and had no permanent address, moving between temporary accommodations." He was eventually found wandering the streets of Safed after a local resident reported a suspicious man to police.
During questioning, the suspect initially denied involvement but later admitted to the scam. He told investigators he noticed the high demand for Omer Adam tickets and, after securing one, posted it for sale repeatedly on social media. By frequently changing his phone number using new SIM cards, he avoided suspicion and managed to sell the same ticket multiple times. The investigation found he profited around NIS 40,000.
The case will soon be transferred to the State Attorney's Office, and an indictment is expected.
In response to the incident, Chief Inspector Mama warned the public: "We urge people not to buy tickets to concerts or sporting events from unknown individuals. Fans often do everything they can to get a ticket, but in their excitement, they take risks and don’t verify the seller's legitimacy. They may find out, at the height of their anticipation, that they can’t enter the event—because the same ticket was already sold to dozens of others."