In a shocking turn of events, Ticketmaster has reportedly fallen victim to a massive security breach, impacting a staggering 560 million customers. The hacking group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for the breach, stating that they have stolen sensitive personal information such as names, addresses, credit card numbers, and phone numbers. The group is allegedly looking to sell the entire data set for a hefty sum of $500,000.
While Ticketmaster has yet to publicly address the hack, reports indicate that the breach primarily affected customers in Australia, despite the company being based in Los Angeles. With an estimated 113.6 million monthly average users globally, the scale of this breach is truly alarming.
Authorities in Australia are already on high alert, with the Australian Government and the National Office of Cyber Security actively engaging with Ticketmaster to understand the full extent of the incident. The FBI has even offered to assist in the investigation, highlighting the severity of the situation.
This breach comes on the heels of a recent federal lawsuit filed against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation, accusing the companies of monopolizing the ticket vendor and entertainment industry. The lawsuit was partially spurred by the chaotic ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” in 2022, which were marred by cancellations, technical difficulties, and allegations of scalping and bot interference.
As the investigation unfolds, customers are left wondering about the security of their personal information and the implications of this breach on their privacy and financial security. Stay tuned for updates as this story continues to develop.