Current:Home > Contact-usScammers are accessing Ticketmaster users' email accounts, stealing tickets, company says-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Scammers are accessing Ticketmaster users' email accounts, stealing tickets, company says
View Date:2024-12-23 23:35:24
Ticketmaster is telling fans who claim their concert tickets disappeared from their accounts, costing them thousands of dollars, that they were victims of hackers.
"What we’re seeing is scammers accessing a fan’s email account," a Ticketmaster spokesperson told USA TODAY on Tuesday.
Many ticketholders have spoken to outlets about their experience, including Blaine Heck who told MarketWatch and the Daily Mail that she had a pair of $3,500 Taylor Swift tickets stolen from her account. Similarly, Savannah Van Skyhawk in Indiana lost her tickets to see the "Shake it Off" singer in concert even after contacting Ticketmaster multiple times, WTHR reported.
"We paid about $300 per ticket, and I've seen resale value of between like four or five grand per ticket. So we weren't going to be able to afford another ticket if we didn't get these ones back," Van Skyhawk told the TV station. "Ticketmaster) would just tell me like, 'We'd call you in three to five days.' So, I'd wait three to five days, and they wouldn't call me. I try calling them again, and then again, they'd say three to five days. It was just kind of a circle, like no one ever called me."
'Scammers are looking for new cheats'
In a statement to USA TODAY, a Ticketmaster spokesperson said the company advises ticketholders to "protect themselves" by "setting a strong unique password for all accounts – especially for their personal email which is where we often see security issues originate."
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"Overall, our digital ticketing innovations have greatly reduced fraud compared to the days of paper tickets and duplicated PDFs. Having that digital history is also how we are able to investigate and successfully return tickets for fans," the statement continued. "Scammers are looking for new cheats across every industry, and tickets will always be a target because they are valuable, so Ticketmaster is constantly investing in new security enhancements to safeguard fans."
The spokesperson also said that Ticketmaster's users' passwords were not exposed in the data incident earlier this year.
Ticketmaster's data security incident
According to Ticketmaster's website, the company "discovered unauthorized activity on an isolated cloud database hosted by a third-party data services provider."
The breached database contained limited personal information of some customers who bought tickets to events in North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico), Ticketmaster said. This could include users' email, phone number, encrypted credit card information as well as some other personal information, according to the company.
Despite the incident, the company said users' accounts "remain secure" and "customers could continue to conduct business with Ticketmaster as normal and without issue."
"Our comprehensive investigation – alongside leading cybersecurity experts and relevant authorities – has shown that there has been no more unauthorized activity," according to the company.
veryGood! (532)
Related
- Mechanic dies after being 'trapped' under Amazon delivery van at Florida-based center
- How fast can the auto industry go electric? Debate rages as the U.S. sets new rules
- So your tween wants a smartphone? Read this first
- Nikki Bella Shares Her Relatable AF Take on Parenting a Toddler
- Bowl projections: SEC teams joins College Football Playoff field
- The Indicator Quiz: Jobs and Employment
- The black market endangered this frog. Can the free market save it?
- I'm a Shopping Editor, Here's What I'm Buying During Amazon Prime Day 2023
- Darren Criss on why playing a robot in 'Maybe Happy Ending' makes him want to cry
- Netflix's pop-up eatery serves up an alternate reality as Hollywood grinds to a halt
Ranking
- Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
- How DOES your cellphone work? A new exhibition dials into the science
- Melanie Griffith Covers Up Antonio Banderas Tattoo With Tribute to Dakota Johnson and Family
- Britney Spears’ Upcoming Memoir Has a Release Date—And Its Sooner Than You Might Think
- South Carolina lab recaptures 5 more escaped monkeys but 13 are still loose
- Suspended from Twitter, the account tracking Elon Musk's jet has landed on Threads
- Biden Administration Quietly Approves Huge Oil Export Project Despite Climate Rhetoric
- REI fostered a progressive reputation. Then its workers began to unionize
Recommendation
-
2 striking teacher unions in Massachusetts face growing fines for refusing to return to classroom
-
Thousands of authors urge AI companies to stop using work without permission
-
Amazon Prime Day 2023 Home & Kitchen Deals: Save Big on Dyson, Keurig, Nespresso & More Must-Have Brands
-
How Shein became a fast-fashion behemoth
-
Watch as massive amount of crabs scamper across Australian island: 'It's quite weird'
-
Randy Travis Honors Lighting Director Who Police Say Was Shot Dead By Wife Over Alleged Cheating
-
Is Threads really a 'Twitter killer'? Here's what we know so far
-
Surprise, you just signed a contract! How hidden contracts took over the internet