Northland Facebook ticket fraudster convicted

A New Zealand woman who sold fake concert tickets on Facebook for acts including Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars has been convicted.

Lulu Amberlee Pou pleaded guilty in the Whangārei District Court to 49 charges of obtaining by deception relating to a time period between August 2017 and June 2018.

The 23-year-old created a number of fake Facebook identities including Bells Pou, Lulu Amberlee, Abby Knight, Lydia Mark and Hannah Johnson and using Messenger promised people fake tickets to Rhythm and Vines, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Macklemore concerts.

At least 49 victims paid $16,870 into Pou's account for the tickets. Once the payment was received, Pou cut all communication and the concert tickets never arrived.

Her offending was revealed when more than 25 victims contacted Police and an investigation revealed her scam. More victims had since contacted police.

Pou communicated with people wanting the tickets through Facebook Messenger, giving them a bank account to pay the money into.

Examples of her fraud included selling two tickets to Rhythm and Vines for $1100 to one victim, tickets to Ed Sheeran cost another person $380, while another victim spent $525 for three tickets to Bruno Mars.

Pou, a mother of two children, appeared in the Whangārei District Court for sentencing before Judge Deidre Orchard today.

Judge Orchard said the offending was premeditated, systematic and over a long period of time, commenting “you were motivated by greed and indifferent to the impact on victims. You are a young person and as a young person I expect you understand young people don't have a lot of money.

“For those people to lose these amounts and the opportunity of attending a concert hits them really hard.”

Before sentencing Pou had served seven weeks in jail. For pleading guilty she was given a 25% discount on the sentence, leaving her with four months home detention.

Pou was ordered to pay $5000 reparation to be distributed between the victims, at $20 per week. The first payment is to be made on 2nd November.

Judge Orchard said Pou was not employed and did not expect to get a job so the reparation amount was fair.

Judge Orchard added "I suspect some of the victims will be disappointed you were not sentenced to a term of imprisonment but I'm satisfied the court should step back from imprisonment in this case."