Authorities have charged two individuals in connection with a scheme that involved infiltrating StubHub’s backend and stealing ticket inventory valued at over $635,000, including a significant number of tickets for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour. Tyrone Rose, from Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara P. Simmons of Jamaica, Queens, were arrested and arraigned in late February, as announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Katz said:

“According to the charges, these defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other high-profile events to profit at the expense of others. They allegedly exploited a loophole through an offshore ticket vendor to steal tickets to the biggest concert tour of the last decade and then resold those seats for an extraordinary profit of more than $600,000.”

According to the charges, Rose, who was employed by an outsourcing firm contracted by StubHub, allegedly accessed an unauthorized system within the ticketing platform. This access enabled him to reroute tickets to Simmons and a now-deceased accomplice, facilitating the resale of the stolen tickets at a considerable profit. The operation reportedly exploited a vulnerability associated with an offshore ticket vendor.

In addition to tickets for The Eras Tour, the scheme encompassed tickets for other significant events, including Adele's Las Vegas residency, Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games, and the U.S. Open. The total illicit proceeds of this operation have been calculated at approximately $635,000.

Both Rose and Simmons face several charges, including grand larceny in the second degree, first-degree computer tampering, and conspiracy in the fourth degree. If convicted on the most serious charge, they could be sentenced to a term ranging from three to 15 years in prison.

StubHub's chief legal officer, Mark Streams, confirmed to the New York Times that the individuals involved were employees of the outsourcing company S.G.S. He said they were identified and terminated shortly after their actions were discovered. The contract between StubHub and the outsourcing firm has also been ended as a result of this incident.