FTC Sues Ticket Reseller for Alleged Illegal Purchases of Taylor Swift and Springsteen Tickets

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated legal action against Maryland-based ticket broker Key Investment Group, alleging the company employed deceptive methods to acquire and resell tickets for high-demand events, notably Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Bruce Springsteen concerts.

According to the FTC's complaint, filed in federal court in Maryland, Key Investment Group utilized thousands of fictitious Ticketmaster accounts, virtual credit card numbers, and proxy IP addresses to circumvent Ticketmaster's purchasing limits. This strategy enabled the company to purchase at least 379,776 tickets between November 2022 and December 2023, spending nearly $57 million and reselling them for approximately $64 million.

In one instance, the company allegedly used 49 different accounts to purchase 273 tickets for a single Taylor Swift concert, significantly exceeding the event's six-ticket limit per customer.

FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson emphasized the agency's commitment to addressing such practices, stating, "President Trump made it clear in his March Executive Order that unscrupulous middlemen who harm fans and jack up prices through anticompetitive methods will hear from us."

Key Investment Group, operating under names such as Epic Seats and Totally Tix, has denied wrongdoing and contends that the FTC is misapplying the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act. The company asserts that its practices are lawful and industry-standard, and it plans to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit.

This legal action is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to combat exploitative ticket reselling practices and ensure fair access to event tickets for consumers.