The personal and payment information of customers of ticket sales website Ticketmaster has been compromised in a hacking attack.
Malicious software on third-party customer support product Inbenta Technologies caused the security breach which potentially affects tens of thousands of UK customers and others around the world.
Information which may have been compromised includes: name, address, email address, telephone number, payment details and Ticketmaster login details. Inbenta’s product was running on Ticketmaster International, Ticketmaster UK, GETMEIN! and TicketWeb websites.
The company says it took swift action to disable the Inbenta product and that all affected customers have been contacted and advised to change their passwords.
They will have no choice but to do so the next time they log in.
It also recommended that customers monitor their account statements for evidence of fraud or identity theft and contact their bank or credit card provider if they notice anything suspicious.
In a statement on a newly set-up website, Ticketmaster said less than five per cent of its global customer base had been affected but customers in North America were not among them. It said worried customers could email any questions to [email protected].
“UK customers who purchased, or attempted to purchase, tickets between February and June 23, 2018 may be affected as well as international customers who purchased, or attempted to purchase, tickets between September 2017 and June 23, 2018,” the statement read.
“If you have not received an email, we do not believe you have been affected by this security incident based on our investigations.”
It continued: “Forensic teams and security experts are working around the clock to understand how the data was compromised. We are working with relevant authorities, as well as credit card companies and banks.”
The firm said it is offering impacted customers a free 12-month identity monitoring service with a leading provider, which is available here.