Ticketmaster Faces $6.6M Damages Claim In UK Over 2018 Data Breach

Screenshot – Ticketmaster.co.uk
A British law firm claims £5 million in damages on behalf of 650 individuals over last year

British law firm Hayes Connor Solicitors has issued a claim for damages of up to £5 million ($6.6 million) against ticketing giant Ticketmaster in the regional division of the High Court in Liverpool, England, following its data breach reported on June 23, 2018.

According to a press release sent out by Hayes Connor, “the Ticketmaster multi-party litigation [involves] more than 650 individuals.”

Hayes Connor Solicitors specializes in data breach and cyber security. MD Kingsley Hayes said: “We have taken the decision to escalate the claim to the High Court following unsuccessful negotiations with Ticketmaster which maintains that it is not liable for the data breach and the subsequent damages suffered by its customers. 

– Kingsley Hayes
MD of Hayes Connor Solicitors

“It reported that the personal and financial data of around 40,000 UK customers had been stolen via malicious malware on third party software. Ticketmaster failed to action the breach until two months after it was alerted to the fact by digital bank Monzo.

“More than two thirds of our clients have suffered multiple fraudulent transactions since the serious data breach with the remainder still at risk of having their money stolen or their details used for fraudulent activity in the future.

“In excess of a third of our clients have suffered significant stress and heightened anxiety as a result with multiple attempts made to hack into their emails for example. Some have had to seek medical attention and have taken time off work following the breach of their personal data. While the Ticketmaster data breach hit the headlines some time ago, the effect on victims is significant and ongoing.

“Stolen personal information, particularly in instances where a significant number of individuals are involved, is often used in batches so some victims may yet to experience any fraudulent activity, however, may still be at risk.  Individuals who were alerted to the data breach by Ticketmaster can still join our action to claim compensation but must act to do so in the next few weeks.”

Hayes Connor Solicitors says it is the first UK law firm to proceed with a multi-party litigation against U.S.-based Ticketmaster following its data breach to date.

Ticketmaster declined to comment.