Two suspects, Tyrone Rose, from Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara Simmons, from Queens, New York City, have been arrested by the police on charges of grand larceny and computer tampering offenses. The arrests were made as part of an ongoing investigation into a cybercrime crew responsible for stealing hundreds of Taylor Swift tickets and selling them for substantial profits.
According to prosecutors, between June 2022 and July 2023, Rose and Simmons exploited a loophole in an offshore ticketing system to steal over 900 tickets for various high-profile events, resulting in a total profit of $635,000. The investigation is still ongoing to determine the full extent of the ticket scam operation, but Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated that at least two individuals were involved in each location, Kingston and Queens.
Katz expressed her concerns over the defendants’ actions, stating that they took advantage of the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other major events to profit illegally. The suspects allegedly used a loophole in an offshore ticket vendor’s system to steal tickets for significant events and resold them at a significant markup, generating a profit of over $600,000.
The investigation revealed that Rose and another individual working at Sutherland, a third-party contractor for StubHub in Jamaica, were responsible for stealing ticket URLs and sending them to two individuals operating in Queens. These stolen tickets were then sold on StubHub in the US for a substantial profit. In addition to Taylor Swift tickets, the cybercrime crew was also involved in stealing tickets for Adele and Ed Sheeran shows, NBA matches, and the US Open tennis championships.
Rose and another suspect, who is currently at large, are accused of abusing their access to StubHub’s network to gain unauthorized entry into the ticketing system. They allegedly redirected ticket emails to their associates in Queens, who would then resell them for profit. If found guilty, Rose and Simmons could face prison sentences ranging from three to 15 years.
The case highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and industry partners in combating fraudulent activities and protecting consumers. Katz commended StubHub for alerting authorities to the scam and urged any potential victims of cybercrime in Queens to come forward and contact the Cyber Crimes team for assistance.
StubHub, despite previous security incidents, remains a popular platform for ticket purchases, with millions of tickets available each year. The company has faced similar security breaches in the past, including incidents involving the purchase of tickets using compromised payment details stored in customer accounts. As the investigation into the cybercrime crew continues, the public is reminded to exercise caution when purchasing tickets online and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.