HOUSTON — One woman has a warning for those who plan on attending any concerts this fall after her digital tickets disappeared.
For many people, this year marked their return to concert season after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately for some, people are logging onto their phones only to find their concert tickets were stolen.
Marilyn Young was one of those victims who was looking forward to a 1980s concert as part of her high school reunion.
"I purchased tickets back in December to Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Loverboy," Young said. "I realized they were transferred to an email that wasn't me...they're gone."
Young's hair band dreams were dashed after getting the notification from Ticketmaster that she successfully transferred her tickets to someone else. It turned out that someone logged into her account, then stole the tickets.
We reached out to Ticketmaster who would only comment that their site was not breached. Young isn't the first victim as nationwide similar cases are being reported.
According to the Better Business Bureau, there's been an increase in ticket-related scams in the past year. Part of the reason is the return of live entertainment, but digital-only ticket theft has also increased.
Ticketmaster said in most cases, digital ticket theft happens due to someone's password getting hacked. Thieves can then transfer your tickets to resell them under a phony name.
They suggest making your password complex while being sure to not share it across multiple websites. You should also take screenshots of the tickets so you always have proof. Lastly, iPhone users should save them to an Apple Wallet.
As for Young, Ticketmaster finally issued her a new pair of tickets. Her advice to others is to be diligent and use a password that's tough to hack so you don't waste your money.