A 20-year-old Jamaican man, Tyrone Rose, employed at a popular call centre in Kingston, has been charged in the United States for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated cybercrime scam that resulted in the theft of over 900 tickets for high-value events. This includes highly sought-after tickets for US singer Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. In conjunction with Rose, a co-accused named Shamara P Simmons, 31, from Jamaica, Queens in New York City, has also been implicated in this elaborate scheme.
According to reports, Rose and Simmons were part of a group that exploited a loophole through an offshore third-party contractor linked to StubHub, a well-known platform for buying and selling tickets to live events, including concerts, theatre performances, and sports games. The third-party contractor was identified in a press release from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, but the specific name of the call centre remains undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
During the investigation, it was revealed that between June 2022 and July 2023, approximately 350 orders from StubHub led to the interception of around 993 tickets. Rose, alongside another unidentified accomplice, allegedly utilized their access to StubHub’s computer system to find a backdoor into a secure area of the network, where already sold tickets were assigned a URL and queued for email delivery to customers.
Rose and his alleged co-conspirator reportedly redirected these URLs to the emails of their accomplices, including Simmons and another now-deceased associate residing in Queens. The accomplices would download the stolen tickets from the rerouted URLs and subsequently list them back on StubHub for resale, generating a staggering profit estimated at over US$635,000.
The tickets stolen in this cybercrime operation were primarily for high-profile events, including concerts by Adele and Ed Sheeran, as well as major sporting events like NBA games and the US Open Tennis Championships. According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, Rose and his associates attempted to capitalize on the popularity of these events, particularly Taylor Swift’s concert tour, to maximize their ill-gotten gains.
Rose and Simmons were apprehended during their visit to New York and were arraigned last Thursday on multiple charges, including grand larceny in the second degree, computer tampering in the first degree, conspiracy in the fourth degree, and computer tampering in the fourth degree. Both defendants pleaded not guilty and were scheduled to return to court on March 7. If convicted of the most serious charge, they each face a potential prison sentence ranging from three to 15 years.
District Attorney Katz emphasized the significance of addressing cybercrime, stating that this case illustrates the commitment of her office's Cybercrime and Cryptocurrency Unit to combat fraudulent activities. Katz highlighted the importance of collaboration with industry partners to protect consumers from such scams, reiterating that the defendants exploited the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour among other high-profile events for their financial gain.
