Hackers “stole” hundreds of Taylor Swift Era tickets, netting $600,000 in a criminal operation

Hackers Arrested for Ticket Fraud

Two hackers were apprehended after reportedly earning over half a million dollars by stealing hundreds of Taylor Swift tickets.

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Details of the Criminal Scheme

Two individuals were arrested in New York on Thursday (February 27) for the theft of more than 900 concert tickets and orchestrating a criminal scheme that netted them $600,000 (approximately £465,700).

According to prosecutors from the district prosecutor’s office (as reported by Diversity), the pair stole nearly 1,000 tickets for major tours, including those of Taylor Swift, Adele, and Ed Sheeran.

This operation was facilitated by their employment with a third-party contractor for StubHub in Kingston, Jamaica, where they found a way to access already purchased tickets. They allegedly intercepted and stole URL addresses for these tickets before reselling them on StubHub for a profit.

The incidents reportedly took place between June 2022 and July 2023, leading to charges of grand theft, computer hacking, conspiracy, and forgery.

In accordance with Diversity, district prosecutor Melinda Katz issued a statement regarding the incident, stating: “The defendants attempted to leverage the popularity of the Taylor Swift concert tour and other high-profile events to profit at the expense of others.

“They allegedly exploited a loophole through the offshore ticket seller to steal tickets for the largest concert tour in the last decade, subsequently reselling these tickets at an extraordinary profit exceeding $600,000.”

Mark Streams, the Chief Legal Officer of StubHub, released a statement emphasizing the platform’s commitment to “ensuring a safe and secure environment for our fans.”

He also noted that the criminal scheme involved a third-party seller linked to Sutherland Global Services (SGS) customer support, which the authorities quickly addressed.

StubHub has since replaced or compensated all tickets impacted by the scheme and implemented additional security measures.

The immense SWIFT tour concluded on December 8 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, following 149 shows over 21 months. It has been reported that the tour generated a record $2 billion (approximately £1.55 billion) in ticket sales, making it the most profitable tour in music history.