By Nell Geraets and Hannah Hammoud
Dozens of Billie Eilish fans were reeling after discovering their tickets had disappeared from their Ticketek digital wallets ahead of the pop singer’s highly anticipated concerts.
Queenslander Joseph Quirk spent more than $500 on tickets to Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft tour as a Mother’s Day gift for his partner. But in the lead-up to last Friday’s Brisbane concert, Quirk realised he couldn’t log into his Ticketek account, and had received an email notifying him that his account details had been changed.
Some Billie Eilish fans claim their tickets have been stolen from their Ticketek accounts by hackers.Credit: WireImage
Quirk contacted Ticketek to say he had not made any changes. Over a week later, he still hadn’t received anything but an automated response.
“My partner was devastated,” he said. “We’re from Rockhampton, which is an eight-hour drive to Brisbane. We’d already booked flights and accommodation.”
They travelled to Brisbane anyway, hoping the ticket office could help. They had no luck – instead, they were referred back to Ticketek and instructed to file a police report.
Joseph Quirk (right) and partner Rikki Hayes lost their Billie Eilish tickets after realising they had been locked out of their Ticketek account.
“This is the first time I’ve ever booked concert tickets, and to have this happen,” he said.
Ticketek has since confirmed it has called Quirk to let him know the money for the tickets would be refunded.
Quirk is not alone. Dozens of fans report similar thefts, some claiming hackers had resold their tickets on the official Ticketek Marketplace, or had changed the email address and password to block the original user from the account and all tickets associated with it.
A Ticketek spokesperson said some account passwords have been compromised “as a result of third-party data breaches”.
“We would like to reiterate that Ticketek accounts or individual data has not been compromised,” they said. “Australia is currently a global hotspot for account phishing and scams across all e-commerce businesses.”
Users are encouraged to regularly change their password, the spokesperson added, and to report any suspicious account activity to both police and Ticketek.
An email was sent to Ticketek account holders on Wednesday noting the introduction of multifactor authentication (MFA), which will be used to add “an extra layer of security” when accessing an account and making payments. The email did not mention reports of compromised accounts.
“Keeping your Ticketek account and personal information secure is our top priority,” it read. “To ensure you have access to the latest security features, please update your app to the latest version on your device.”
Similar complaints emerged during the Australian leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour last year, and in October, Olivia Rodrigo fans also had tickets stolen ahead of the Guts World Tour.
Billie Eilish has been performing her Hit Me Hard And Soft tour in Australia since February 18. It began in Brisbane before heading to Sydney, where it will continue until Friday. Her final four shows will take place in Melbourne, beginning on March 4.
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