New York prosecutors accuse two individuals working for a third-party contractor at the StubHub online ticket marketplace of stealing nearly 1,000 concert tickets and reselling them online, ultimately making $635,000.
According to prosecutors, most of the stolen concert tickets belonged to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. However, the criminals also targeted other high-profile and high-value events, including concerts by Ed Sheeran and Adele, NBA games, and the US Open Tennis Championships.
The defendants, 20-year-old Tyrone Rose and 31-year-old Shamara Simmons, worked for Sutherland Global Services in Jamaica. They allegedly exploited a loophole in an offshore ticket vendor’s platform, intercepting approximately 350 StubHub orders to steal the tickets.
Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz explained that Rose and an unapprehended accomplice used their access to StubHub’s computer system to find a backdoor into a secure network area. There, they intercepted already sold tickets, redirected their URLs, and sent them to co-conspirators Shamara Simmons in Queens and another accomplice, who has since passed away.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, working to uncover the full extent of the operation and identify any additional co-conspirators.
Police arrested the Sutherland employees in New York City and arraigned them on Thursday. They face charges including second-degree grand larceny, first-degree computer tampering, fourth-degree conspiracy, and fourth-degree computer tampering.
If convicted of the top charge, each defendant could receive a prison sentence ranging from three to 15 years.
“These defendants attempted to capitalize on Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other major events to make a profit at others’ expense,” said District Attorney Katz.
“This takedown demonstrates the vigilance of my office’s Cybercrime and Cryptocurrency Unit and underscores the importance of collaborating with industry partners to combat fraud and protect consumers.”
Source: BleepingComputer, Sergiu Gatlan
