Cybercrime Ring Stole and Resold Hundreds of Taylor Swift Concert Tickets, Prosecutors Say
A cybercrime group stole and resold more than 900 digital tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and other high-profile events on StubHub, according to prosecutors in New York.
The scheme involved individuals in Jamaica working for a firm contracted by StubHub, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Monday. The contractors allegedly stole ticket URLs and sent them to accomplices in New York, who downloaded and resold them at inflated prices.
Prosecutors said the operation generated more than USD 600,000 in profits between June 2022 and July 2023. While most of the stolen tickets were for Swift’s Eras Tour, others included Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
Authorities are still investigating the full extent of the operation and identifying other potential co-conspirators, Katz said.
Two individuals, Tyrone Rose and Shamara Simmons, were arrested last Thursday and charged with grand larceny, computer tampering, and conspiracy. Rose, 20, was allegedly among those in Jamaica who redirected purchased tickets to the emails of Simmons, 31, and another accomplice in Queens, prosecutors said.
Rose was arrested while visiting New York and was ordered to surrender his passport, Katz’s office said Tuesday. Both Rose and Simmons pleaded not guilty and were released ahead of their next court date on Friday.
StubHub said it discovered the scheme and reported it to authorities and its third-party customer service vendor. The company has since ended its relationship with the vendor and strengthened security measures. StubHub also stated that all affected ticket orders have been replaced or fully refunded.
A cybercrime group stole and resold over 900 digital tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and other events.
The scheme generated more than USD 600,000 in profits between June 2022 and July 2023.
Two individuals, Tyrone Rose and Shamara Simmons, were arrested and charged.
Source: AP NEWS