An 18-year-old man has been charged after allegedly making and hawking fake wristbands to Port Macquarie’s sold-out Festival of the Sun, marking a potential resurgence of one of the oldest swindles in the book.
NSW Police allege police officers detected three dodgy wristbands on attendees at the December 12–14 event, prompting an investigation into the faux passes.
Those inquiries led to a Ballina Crescent home today, where cops charged the guy with forgery and dealing with the proceeds of a crime.
It is alleged he printed more than 50 wristbands and attempted to palm them off as the real deal.
He is slated to face Port Macquarie Local Court on February 19, 2020.
But he wasn’t the only one to face accusations of flim-flammery, either. In separate cases, NSW Police state two 17-year-old boys have also been accused of selling fakies to punters, and will face proceedings under the Young Offenders Act.
Without condoning any criminal behaviour, it’s easy to see why demand was high for Festival of the Sun passes.
The three day camping event offered punters a chance to see a slew of top Australian talent, including Briggs, Julia Jacklin, Amyl & The Sniffers, Baker Boy, and Lime Cordiale.
Of course, artists don’t get paid if festival attendees don’t pay for passes.
But we can say that, at the bare minimum, anyone who thought they were getting a legit pass when they bought an alleged fraud had pretty good taste.
