A group of Russian musicians successfully deceived the Hong Kong government into believing they were the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in the early 1990s. While the real MPO was touring Europe, the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra performed in front of almost 10,000 people. The ruse was exposed only when the real MPO landed in Hong Kong for a concert.
The Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra obtained visas and licenses to perform in Hong Kong using falsified documents and fake passports. Yuri Temirkanov, the group's commander, was eventually apprehended and sentenced to four years in prison.