Entertainment
Thousands of tickets to Taylor Swift and other events illegally resold by broker, FTC alleges
A Maryland ticket broker is accused of illegally purchasing and reselling hundreds of thousands of tickets for profit, including thousands to Taylor Swift’s highly sought Eras Tour.
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Key Investment Group, saying the company made millions of dollars in profit from reselling the tickets at inflated prices.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, Aug. 18, in U.S. District Court in Maryland, accuses the company and its affiliates of bypassing Ticketmaster’s security measures designed to block resellers from violating ticket-purchase limits.
Key Investment Group also did business under the names Epic Seats, TotalTickets.com LLC and Totally Tix LLC, according to the complaint.
The FTC alleges that, in a one year period, the group purchased at least 379,776 tickets from Ticketmaster at a cost of nearly $57 million. The company then allegedly resold those tickets on secondary marketplaces for about $64 million.
In a statement, Key Investment Group said it will “vigorously defend itself against this clear example of regulatory overreach.” It claims the FTC “misleadingly characterizes KIG’s use of standard internet browsers,” and said the government’s case “threatens to dismantle the secondary ticket market for live events.”
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets
Between March and August of 2023, Key Investment Group allegedly purchased 10 or more tickets to 38 Taylor Swift concerts, totaling 2,280 tickets, according to the complaint. The FTC says the company made more than $1.2 million in profit reselling those tickets.
For just one Taylor Swift show, the defendants allegedly used 49 different accounts to buy 273 tickets. The Eras Tour had a six-ticket purchase limit per customer, per event.
Among other events the FTC alleges were targeted was a 2023 Bruce Springsteen concert in New Jersey. Despite a four-ticket limit, the defendants allegedly purchased and resold more than 1,500 tickets.
How the alleged scheme worked
According to the FTC, the group used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts, both fictitious and third-party accounts it had purchased, to bypass security measures and purchase the tickets.
The company is also accused of using thousands of credit card numbers, including virtual card numbers, spoofing IP addresses to hide the identity of the ticket purchaser, and using SIM technology to collect the incoming verification codes.
In doing so, the FTC said the brokers violated the FTC Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, which prohibits people from “circumventing a security measure, access control system, or other technological control or measure on an internet website or online service that is used by the ticket issuer to enforce posted event ticket limits or to maintain the integrity of posted online ticket purchasing order rules.”
Entertainment
Fiza Ali extends heartwarming wishes to ex-husband on his second marriage
Actor and host Fiza Ali extended warm greetings to her ex-husband, Fawad Farouq, on his second marriage, and shared her daughter Faraal’s preparations on her official Instagram handle.
The actress wished him happiness and personal growth as he embarks on this new chapter of life.
“Not every story ends with a fight,” Ali wrote on an Instagram reel, showing her daughter happy and getting ready for the wedding.
At first glance, Faraal was spotted sharing her excitement with Farouq, and then the camera reopens on her mehendi-painted hands and formal attire.
Dropping a cute prep clip, the “Mehndi” actress noted: “Life doesn’t always go in one direction; sometimes silence says more than words.”
“Every story doesn’t end in fighting; sometimes the beautiful end is that we deliver positivity, grace, and strength to our children.”
Recalling her past, Ali said her daughter’s preparations for her father’s second marriage remind her that relations and respect could be changed, but “parenting could never be ended”.
The “Mor Mehal” star concluded with heart-warming greetings for her ex-husband, saying that a new chapter of his life will be with full joy and sincerity, may God make our ways easy.
Entertainment
Ron King talks about his mission to protect donkeys, misconceptions and how they bring joy
Entertainment
US revokes over 100,000 visas, targeting tourists, students, workers
In its ongoing anti-immigration move, the US has revoked over 100,000 visas, affecting tourists, international students, and skilled workers.
Marking a substantial uptick from the 40,000 revocations in 2024, the figure reflects stricter enforcement measures under US President Donald Trump’s second term.
Officials from the Trump administration stated that the crackdown is aimed at improving public safety and ensuring compliance with US immigration laws.
“US authorities are increasingly using court and police data to ensure visa holders comply fully with the law,” a State Department official stated.
Who’s affected by ongoing US visa cancellations?
The largest group affected by the current halt in US visa processing comprises those holding B1, B2, and B1/B2 visas, many of whom faced cancellations due to overstays or unauthorised work.
Around 8,000 student visas were revoked, of which nearly 500 were linked to drug offences. 2,500 cancellations impacted skilled professionals, including H-1B visa holders.
The US authorities are also targeting travellers with criminal records, including DUI, assault, theft, fraud, and drug-related offences.
This revocation campaign is part of a stricter policy aimed at improving data-sharing between government agencies.
An executive order signed on Trump’s first day in office allows authorities to cancel visas even after entry. Officials emphasised that visas are privileges, not guarantees, and that even minor violations will no longer be ignored.
Travellers within the US may face deportation, and those abroad are barred from entry. Affected individuals are advised to consult immigration lawyers, review revocation notices, and maintain transparency in future applications.
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