Ticketmaster has vowed to return “thousands of illegal” Harry Styles tickets to real fans after uncovering a major scalping operation targeting the singer’s upcoming New York City residency.
The company says it intercepted scammers using multiple fake accounts to snap up seats for Harry’s Together, Together tour before flipping them for huge profits.
The discovery comes after fans were left fuming earlier this year when VIP packages for the 30-night Madison Square Garden run soared to $1,667.
Ticketmaster president Saumil Mehta addressed the scandal in a lengthy message to fans, saying he wanted to explain “how ticketing actually works” and what went wrong.
He wrote: “We caught scalpers using multiple accounts and fake identities to try to get around ticket limits and resell tickets for profit.
“We’ve canceled those tickets, none of which had been transferred to fans, and we are working with the tour to release them back to fans at the original price.”
Mehta said the scammers deliberately targeted the cheapest and most in-demand seats, knowing they could flip them for the biggest mark-ups.
He added: “This impacts many tours and Harry’s residency was a huge target.”
To reassure fans, Mehta listed the real ticket prices — including fees — confirming that 19% cost $50, 77% are under $95, and all are under $130. He stressed that no genuine fans had their tickets cancelled and that anyone who bought directly from Ticketmaster, or already has transferred or resale tickets in their account, is unaffected.
Fans wanting another shot at tickets must now submit a request form between April 30 at noon EDT and May 1 at 5pm EDT.
Each person can request up to four tickets for two shows, and successful buyers will be charged automatically.
Confirmation emails will go out by May 8 at 11.50pm EDT.
The crackdown lands just days after a federal jury ruled that Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation have too much dominance over the biggest concert venues — a decision Live Nation says it will appeal.
