North Texas fans report disappearing tickets – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

NBC 5 is responding to a growing number of fans reporting missing Ticketmaster tickets.

They say thousands of dollars worth of event tickets were transferred from their accounts to other people without permission.

Read on to find out what we know and what you can do to protect your seats.

“MY TICKETS ARE GONE”

After Conya Harris-Carter blocked Usher tickets for herself and her husband back in February, she found herself in trouble just days before the concert in Dallas.

“I'm really on the edge because I'm like, oh my God, my tickets are gone,” Harris-Carter said.

The fan shared a Sept. 21 email from Ticketmaster customer service that said Harris-Carter's digital tickets, valued at more than $2,000, were on their way to someone else.

“I immediately looked at the emails and said, 'Wait, what?' I didn’t give my tickets to anyone,” Harris-Carter said.

When she tried to log into her Ticketmaster account, Harris-Carter said her password didn't work. She changed it again.

“When I was able to do that, I saw that my tickets had actually been transferred to a stranger that I didn't even know,” Harris-Carter explained.

The Ticketmaster support email received a timestamp of 10:17 p.m. on a Saturday. Harris-Carter said she called Ticketmaster customer service as soon as the phone lines opened the next morning. She said employees told her Ticketmaster would investigate.

“I legally paid for it and someone was able to come by and take it,” Harris-Carter said. “I don't understand.”

Courtney Peck, a lifelong New Orleans Saints fan, tells NBC 5 Responds that she, too, tried to restore tickets to two upcoming Saints games after receiving news that the tickets had been transferred without her permission.

The value of the tickets is around $1,300. This does not include the travel expenses Peck booked for trips to the Saints' games against the Kansas City Chiefs and LA Chargers.

“I just want my tickets. It’s not even about the money,” Peck said. “I just want to be assured that I will get my tickets back and be at the game in the seats I chose.”

It's not just North Texas fans. Across the country, consumers are notifying our NBC Responds teams about unauthorized ticket transfers.

“Oh, I was devastated,” Breauna Hannon said in San Diego.

“People spend their hard-earned money doing this and then it just gets stolen,” said Brenda Azzolino in New Jersey.

Alexandra Passer told NBC New York's Lynda Baquero, “We're at a loss.”

“Between 4:16 and 4:20 they took my tickets and successfully transferred them to themselves,” Jess Mantione told NBC 10 Responds in Philadelphia.

TICKETMASTER: SECURE FAN EMAIL

NBC 5 Responds asked Ticketmaster about North Texas fans' tickets.

In an email, a spokesperson wrote, “Overall, our digital ticketing innovations have significantly reduced fraud compared to the days of paper tickets and duplicate PDFs.” Using this digital history, we are also able to investigate tickets for fans and to return successfully.”

Ticketmaster also says fans should set strong, unique passwords, especially for their email address, where security issues often arise, according to Ticketmaster.

The spokesperson also wrote, among other things: “Ticketmaster is constantly investing in new security improvements to protect fans.”

Earlier this year, Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation, announced that there had been “unauthorized activity” in a third-party cloud database that contained some customers' information. Live Nation said this could include email, phone number and encrypted credit card information. It said passwords were not disclosed.

“As serious as this was, there was no credential breach,” Live Nation Executive Vice President Dan Wall told NBC 5 Chicago's PJ Randhawa on Wednesday.

Wall said login credentials can be compromised elsewhere and hackers are using them to access accounts of customers who haven't updated their passwords in a while or who use the same password on multiple websites.

“The reality is that the biggest problem with account takeovers for our website or any other website is old credentials that have been compromised and that these criminals can find on the dark web,” Wall said.

How to verify your account

For every online account you have, the Identity Theft Resource Center recommends consumers strengthen their passwords. Include symbols and a mix of upper and lower case letters.

Don't use the same password on different websites. If one online account is compromised, that means others are also at risk. Enable two-factor authentication if available. If someone tries to log in to your account using an unrecognized browser or device, a security code is required.

“I now know how important a strong password is,” Peck said. “I think Ticketmaster could have done more. You could have done more to notify me. Notify us, I should say, because it’s not just me who’s going through it.”

After NBC 5 Responds contacted Ticketmaster about the tickets for Harris-Carter and Peck, Ticketmaster said both customers' tickets had been reinstated. Both fans confirmed that their tickets have been restored and they have secured their accounts.

For consumers with Ticketmaster accounts, change your password. Here is a link to Ticketmaster's password reset instructions.

Make sure it is strong and unique. Also update your personal email passwords.

NBC 5 Responds is committed to investigating your concerns and getting your money back. Our goal is to provide you with answers and, if possible, solutions and a solution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.