A Glitch Caused People to Log into Others’ Ticketmaster’s Accounts, Revealing Personal Details

By
Winnie Su
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Ticketmaster Glitch Unveils Personal Data During Yoasobi Concert Sale

In a recent and unprecedented data leak, many Ticketmaster users found themselves in a baffling situation.

Imagine eagerly preparing to buy tickets for your favourite J-pop duo’s concert.

You log in the moment tickets are released, meticulously select your seats, and proceed to checkout for payment.

But, to your surprise, the purchase is made for someone else.

This peculiar scenario unfolded for numerous fans attempting to purchase tickets for Yoasobi’s debut concert in Singapore on 1 Dec.

Yoasobi, comprised of 23-year-old vocalist Ikura and 29-year-old composer Ayase, is renowned for their hit song “Idol,” the theme for the anime “Oshi No Ko.”

This concert, being their first in Singapore, had fans eager to secure a spot.

The event, scheduled for 11 Jan next year at Resorts World Sentosa, saw tickets selling out within minutes, mirroring the frenzy of other high-profile events, such as this year’s Taylor Swift concert.

Ticketmaster, a leading ticketing agent, was in charge of the sales, and popular concerts like the Taylor Swift concert are often handled by Ticketmaster.

However, a significant issue emerged during the online purchasing process.

Fans were inadvertently redirected to other buyers’ carts at checkout, exposing the full names, phone numbers, and email addresses of strangers.

In some cases, fans could even view other events and concert tickets purchased by the account owners.

This incident highlights a startling risk: the potential exposure of personal data due to our enthusiasm for celebrities.

Leong, a 28-year-old teaching assistant at a local university, expressed his shock to The Straits Times.

He discovered, after selecting his tickets, that the cart was not his and contained someone else’s personal details.

This glitch raised concerns that some might have inadvertently paid for tickets belonging to others, turning the ticket-buying experience into a race against both internet and reaction speed.

Mr Cai, 33, shared a similar experience, where he lost his tickets due to being logged into another person’s account during the sale.

He has since reported the incident to the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) in Singapore.

Netizens Express Their Outrage

Following the sale, many fans voiced their experiences online on various social media platforms.

Many echoed Leong’s experience, discussing the leak of other fans’ personal information, including email addresses and contact details.

Some fans found that upon refreshing the page, the tickets in their ‘My Tickets’ wasn’t “My” but “Someone Else’s” tickets, allowing them access not only to personal information but also to the registered payment details for further purchases on Ticketmaster.

Image: Instagram (@animefestivalasia)

This glitch, seen as both a privacy breach and a source of immense frustration, left many questioning Ticketmaster’s reliability, a platform previously trusted by avid concert-goers.

As Ticketmaster is one of the sole authorised sellers for this concert, this incident has sparked nostalgia for the days when tickets could be purchased physically at Sistic counters.

Ticketmaster’s Response

In response to the incident, Ticketmaster communicated with The Straits Times via email.

However, they did not provide details on the number of people affected or the cause of the glitch.

They assured that they value data privacy and claimed that no sensitive information was compromised.

Of which, many fans questioned the meaning behind “sensitive information”.

Image: Reddit (@MicrotechAnalysis)

Meanwhile, the PDPC is currently investigating the data breach.

Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:

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Winnie Su
Email: [email protected]