New scam exposed: Israelis fall into a trap for the sought-after show

Ahead of the holiday season and the high demand for tickets that have sold out for the NEXT show, cases are increasing where Israelis fall victim to scams on social media. Impostors offer tickets for sale, contact interested parties, and try to build a sense of trust before requesting payment.

According to a report by "12 at Noon," the method repeats itself in several cases. The impostors post ads for ticket sales on Facebook, and after potential buyers show interest, they move the conversation to WhatsApp. There, an attempt is made to build trust with the buyer until the stage where the money is transferred.

In one case, one of the victims even tried to ensure she was not falling into a trap and pleaded with the seller:

"Please, do not scam me."

Despite this, after she transferred hundreds of shekels to the bank account, the conduct changed. The chat messages were deleted, the users were blocked, and the parties who sold the tickets disappeared without responding.

The scams come against the backdrop of the great interest in NEXT, which has become one of the most prominent music shows in Israel in recent years. Each year during Hanukkah, the show brings together a large audience around a series of leading artists and offers a large-scale production on a 360-degree stage, alongside special arrangements and collaborations between the singers.

This year, particularly well-known names are expected to take part in the show, including Omer Adam, Osher Cohen, Odya, and Idan Amedi, which increases the demand for tickets.

The affair illustrates the risk involved in purchasing tickets from private sellers online, especially when it comes to sought-after shows where tickets can be snapped up quickly. The cases exposed highlight how an attempt to create a sense of trust in a private conversation does not constitute a guarantee that the seller actually holds the ticket or intends to transfer it after receiving payment.