Thief buys $800 worth of Rockets tickets after hacking Flash Seats account

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's quick, easy and Frances Dorgant thought secure.

"I want the people of Houston who use it for things we love to be aware," said Dorgant.

From sporting events to concerts, the digital ticket marketplace is often the best or even only way to go. She purchased rodeo tickets through Flash Seats and had about $900 left in her account.

"For some reason, at the end of the rodeo I forgot to move it on out and didn't think about it," said Dorgant.

But when the red-hot Rockets returned to town, she considered buying the family tickets. Then she saw an email, someone had purchased Rockets tickets for a little more than $800 through her account.

She says it wasn't her and she believes she was hacked.

"It was basically bought, transferred, ding, ding," said Dorgant.

She says after calling in a complaint, Flash Seats has indicated she will receive a refund though she's still waiting for it.

Dan Parsons, president of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas, says consumers should check accounts often, find damage quickly and close breached accounts.

He said, "What do we know what we have out here? We have a crook who is a sports fan, who's using a new platform that may have had some security problems. Pretty brilliant."

Parsons added that nothing is 100 percent safe.

"These are easy crimes to do. The only way you can avoid it is not to be in the credit world, not to be out there and that's unrealistic," said Parsons.

Dorgant has also filed a report with HPD and the FBI and will also make a complaint with the state, which are all things Parsons says she should do along with a BBB complaint to create a record.

"I don't know how else you buy tickets anymore. I would imagine if they can hack Flash Seats, they can do Ticketmaster, StubHub or anything else. I don't know how we'll go forward as a family buying tickets also," said Dorgant.