‘Heartbroken’ mum and son barred from Suncorp Stadium for Origin Decider claiming Ticketek account hacked
A “heartbroken” mother has spoken out about the moment her 11-year-old son was left in tears after they were barred from entering Suncorp Stadium’s State of Origin decider.
Nicola Healey took her young son, Carter, to the big game after purchasing tickets through Ticketek.
On arrival, the excited Maroons supporters made their way to the gates to scan their tickets, only to receive a concerning message.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“All excited, we went to Suncorp Stadium,” Ms Healey told 7NEWS.
“We get to the turnstiles and my ticket said, ‘cancelled’.”
Ms Healey and little Carter had to wait in line at the ticket box for almost an hour before being able to seek staff assistance.
“You’ve listed your tickets on Ticketek Marketplace,” a ticket box staff member told Ms. Healey.
“Yes, they’ve been sold. You can’t have access to the game,” the staffer said after looking into the tickets.
The rejection came as a shock to Ms Healey as she claimed she did not sell the tickets.
“Basically, we were turned away,” Ms. Healey said.
Ms Healey believes that “somebody” accessed her Ticketek account.
She claims that person managed to access and sell her tickets, not only for the State of Origin decider but also her tickets to a Billie Eilish concert next year.
Ms Healey has found clues in her account, including bank details of the alleged ticket thief, information she says she will hand over to the police and her financial institution.
For Ms Healey, the hardest part was seeing her son Carter “in tears” as she pleaded with staff for assistance and then on the train journey home after not being let in.
“He was just devastated,” she said.
“I was just heartbroken that he was disappointed.”
Brisbane radio station KIIS 97.3 learned of Carter’s Origin night and stepped in to turn tears into smiles, organizing for the 11-year-old to meet the Maroons legend, Corey Oates.
Ticketek said in a statement that their system had “not been compromised,” instead pointing the finger at user vigilance.
“The Ticketek system has not been compromised and it is believed that this patron may be a victim of a cyber attack on her own personal accounts and serves as another timely reminder to be vigilant and practice cyber security,” the company said in a statement.
“We understand Ticketek has spoken with the customer to resolve the issue and has also provided assurance regarding her Ticketek account security.”
