A 27-year-old Toronto man has been charged with fraud after a woman told police the person who sold her Tragically Hip tickets online was acting suspiciously.
The woman told Durham Regional Police that she saw two tickets for sale on the Kijiji website and went to meet the seller in Scarborough.
She paid for the tickets, but later noticed the exact same tickets were still available on the website.
The woman contacted the seller under a different name and he provided her with pictures of the same tickets with the same seat numbers and section.
She went to the Durham police station and told investigators she believes the tickets she bought for the band’s August 12, 2016 show are fake.
Police set up a meeting with the seller but police say at one point, the suspect fled from officers. After a brief struggle, he was arrested.
A suspect, identified as Coleman Ward, faces charges of fraud under $5,000, escaping custody, resisting arrest and possession of proceeds of a crime. He was held for a bail hearing.
Police sent out a news release reminding the public of the risks of buying tickets from an unauthorized seller as tickets can be easily duplicated.
Anyone who believes they may have purchased fraudulent tickets should contact police, they said.
The Tragically Hip will embark on their final tour beginning on July 22 in Victoria after it was revealed that lead singer Gord Downie is suffering from terminal brain cancer.
The tour wraps up in the band’s hometown of Kingston, Ont. on Aug. 20.
