Hackers Expose Massive Ticketmaster Breach Affecting Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam, and Other Major Tours
A massive data breach at Ticketmaster has exposed personal information of over 440,000 ticket buyers, with hackers claiming access to 193 million barcodes affecting multiple major tours and artists.
The breach impacts ticket buyers for numerous high-profile tours, including:
- Taylor Swift
- Pearl Jam
- Usher's "Past Present Future Tour"
- P!nk's "Summer Carnival"
- Aerosmith's "Peace Out Farewell Tour"
- Neil Young & Crazy Horse's "Love Earth Tour"
- Alanis Morissette's "Triple Moon Tour"
- Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Unlimited Love Tour"
- Bruce Springsteen's 2024 tour
- Various Cirque du Soleil shows
Concert crowd raising hands at show
The hacking group ShinyHunters has demanded $2 million ransom, threatening to leak email addresses and e-ticket barcodes. They've already released sample tickets for Taylor Swift's Indianapolis shows to prove their access, and claim to have requested $8 million not to sell the information.
Ticketmaster's Response:
- Contacting affected users
- Offering identity theft monitoring services
- Implementing SafeTix technology that refreshes barcodes every few seconds
- Has not disclosed total number of impacted accounts in SEC filings
The breach could potentially affect millions of Americans, as Ticketmaster sold over 620 million tickets in 2023 to more than 145 million attendees. This incident comes amid an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster by the U.S. Justice Department and 28 state Attorneys General.
Senator Richard Blumenthal has expressed concern about Ticketmaster's delayed notification to consumers and urged affected customers to enroll in the offered credit monitoring service while remaining vigilant for suspicious account activity.
Gavel in courtroom
Hooded hacker in dark clothing
Hacker suspect arrested with computer money
Related Articles
Kenny Chesney Announces Historic 12-Show Residency at Las Vegas Sphere, First Country Artist to Perform at Venue
