SHANGHAI – Chinese idol group SNH48 has formally reported a wave of fake handshake tickets to local authorities, following a recent spike in counterfeits that emerged during their fan meet-and-greet sessions.
Watch: SNH48 Scandal on CCTV Camera Goes Viral
The group’s management filed an official complaint after identifying a number of suspicious handshake tickets in circulation. According to their statement, these counterfeit tickets were not only fake but bore close resemblance to official merchandise sold by SNH48.
SNH48’s representatives confirmed they had traced the origin of several fake tickets to an online seller. The management has also included the suspected online store in their police report, urging immediate investigation into its activities.
The report comes just days after the group held a series of handshake events, during which staff detected numerous forged tickets at the venue gates. This prompted tighter security checks and immediate action.
Prior to this, SNH48 had issued a public advisory warning fans about the rise in counterfeit goods. The group released a guide explaining the visual differences between authentic and fake handshake tickets.
The most noticeable feature in official tickets is a special anti-counterfeit design. Authentic tickets contain a thick metallic line with clear intervals and segmented breaks, a detail missing in the counterfeit versions.
SNH48 has stressed the importance of buying merchandise and tickets only through official channels, such as their theatre’s offline box office and the group’s verified website.
The group reminded fans that they continually invest in technology to prevent forgeries, including embedding security features into every legitimate ticket and product.
Management expressed disappointment that fans had been duped and reiterated their zero-tolerance stance on counterfeit sales.
They also reassured supporters that all cooperation with law enforcement is ongoing and that legal consequences await those behind the forgery operation.
Fans are encouraged to double-check ticket authenticity and immediately report anything suspicious.
The group hopes that through swift legal action, trust can be maintained between the idol group and their dedicated fanbase.