Scalper Bots: How They Work and How to Protect Yourself Online

In the digital age, scalper bots have become a significant disruptor, turning the excitement of snagging tickets to a concert or buying limited-edition sneakers into an anxiety-filled race. 

Online scalping, a prevalent technique employed by modern scalpers, utilizes scalper bots to automate large-scale purchases of high-demand items, significantly outpacing genuine consumers.

Real-life incidents like the Taylor Swift tour ticket fiasco or high-profile sneaker drops overrun by bots reveal the tangible impact these automated systems have on fans and consumers alike.

In this Mysterium VPN blog post, we’ll explore what scalper bots are, how they work, their real-world impact, and what you can do to protect yourself.

What Are Scalper Bots?

Scalper bots (or scalping bots) are automated software programs designed to purchase high-demand products faster than any human. They target everything from concert tickets to gaming consoles to sneakers.

Scalper bots automate the process of purchasing products by rapidly accessing web pages, mimicking human behavior, and efficiently navigating e-commerce sites. By automating the purchase process, scalper bots give their operators an unfair advantage over regular consumers. These items are then resold at inflated prices on secondary markets.

How Scalper Bots Have Affected Real-Life

Let’s take a look at some real-life examples of scalper bots making life difficult for everyone else. Ticket bots have revolutionized the scalping industry by enabling scalpers to quickly execute large-scale purchases, significantly impacting ticket sales.

Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ Event Tickets Fiasco Due to Ticket Bots

In 2022, fans eagerly awaited tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour—one of the most highly anticipated tours in recent memory. When Ticketmaster opened sales, chaos ensued.

Bot technology has advanced significantly, allowing scalper bots to mimic human behavior and bypass conventional security measures. Fans experienced hours-long waits, frequent website crashes, and limited availability. What was to blame? Scalper bots.

• What Happened: Scalper bots overwhelmed Ticketmaster’s servers by generating massive traffic spikes. Many bots bypassed security measures to snatch up tickets, which were later resold on secondary markets at exorbitant prices—some tickets listed for over $10,000 each.
• Impact on Fans: Genuine fans faced heartbreak as they missed out on tickets or had to pay scalper-inflated prices. Ticketmaster faced backlash and congressional scrutiny for failing to stop scalper bot activity.

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) Shortage

When Sony released the PS5 in 2020, gaming enthusiasts were eager to get their hands on the next-generation console.

However, scalper bots had other plans. Bots swept up entire inventories within minutes, leaving legitimate buyers empty-handed. There are various types of scalper bots, each specialized for different tasks and industries, showcasing the complexity and significance of scalper botting in online markets.

• The Numbers Speak: One bot operator bragged about securing over 2,000 PS5 consoles in a single day. These were immediately resold on secondary markets for two to three times the retail price.
• Impact on Retailers: Retailers like Best Buy and Walmart struggled to counter bot activity, with their websites crashing under the pressure. The incident highlighted how unprepared many businesses were for bot-driven demand spikes.

Limited-Edition Sneaker Drops

The sneaker industry has been one of the hardest hit by scalper bots. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Supreme often release limited-edition sneakers, creating a frenzy among collectors. Bots have capitalized on this, dominating the market.

• Nike’s Travis Scott Sneaker Release: When Nike released the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1, bots snapped up the entire inventory within seconds. Genuine sneakerheads had no choice but to turn to secondary markets, where prices for the sneakers soared from $175 retail to over $1,000.
• The Resale Market: Platforms like StockX and GOAT, while legitimate, have become dominated by scalpers flipping these products. Bots have essentially turned sneaker drops into a business for resellers.

Xbox Series X and GPU Shortages

Similar to the PS5, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Nvidia’s GPUs faced severe shortages due to scalper bot activity. Operators used specialized bots like "Grinch Bots" to purchase hundreds of devices at once.

• The Fallout: Frustrated gamers called out retailers, while bot operators boasted on social media about their success. Nvidia even redesigned its GPUs to make them less appealing for scalpers.

How Do Scalper Bots Work?

Scalper bots operate through a combination of advanced technologies to outpace human users. One such technique is to auto-refresh web pages, allowing these bots to quickly identify and secure high-demand products before genuine customers have a chance to make a purchase. Here’s how:

Monitoring and Auto-Refreshing Web Pages

Bots continuously monitor product pages, refreshing them to detect restocks or product releases.

Bad bots, in particular, pose significant challenges by engaging in online scalping and ticket purchasing, necessitating advanced bot protection solutions to distinguish them from legitimate traffic.

Their speed ensures they’re first to act.

Automating the Checkout Process

Scalper bots store saved credit card details and pre-filled information, completing transactions in seconds—a process that takes humans far longer.

Bypassing Security Measures

Sophisticated scalper bots evade detection by:

• Solving Captchas: Using machine learning to decode captcha tests.
• Simulating Human Behavior: Mimicking clicks, mouse movements, and browsing patterns to avoid suspicion.
• Using Proxy Networks: Disguising their IP addresses to look like legitimate users.

Creating Fake Accounts

Account creation bots generate hundreds of accounts using fake email addresses, enabling bots to bypass purchase limits.

Types of Scalper Bots

There are several specialized scalper bots, each designed for a specific purpose:

• Ticket Bots: Focus on purchasing tickets for concerts, sports events, and shows. These are the most infamous due to their impact on the entertainment industry.
• Sneaker Bots: Designed to target limited-edition sneakers, creating shortages for collectors and fans.
• Monitor Bots: Constantly scan websites for restocks or product releases, ensuring the bot operator is always first in line.
• Account Creation Bots: Automate the process of creating multiple fake new accounts to bypass restrictions.
• Auto Checkout Bots: Streamline the entire purchase process, from adding to the cart to payment.

The Impact of Scalper Bots

Scalper bots don’t just frustrate consumers—they have a ripple effect across industries.

• Inflated Prices on Secondary Markets: Scalper bots create artificial scarcity, driving prices sky-high. For example, Taylor Swift tickets and limited-edition sneakers often resell for 5-10 times their original cost.
• Disadvantaged Genuine Users: Human users stand little chance against bots, especially during high-demand events or product releases.
• Strain on Businesses: Bot traffic can crash websites, increase operational costs, and hurt brand reputation. Ticketmaster and Nike have both faced significant backlash due to bot-driven issues.
• Legislation and Legal Challenges: In response to incidents like the Eras Tour ticket fiasco, governments have started addressing bot-related issues. The U.S. has proposed stricter laws against “Grinch Bots,” named after their impact on holiday shopping.

Is Scalping Illegal?

Scalping, the practice of buying high-demand items and reselling them at inflated prices, occupies a gray area in the legal landscape.

While not entirely illegal, it is subject to stringent regulations in many countries, especially when scalper bots are involved.

In the United States, the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016 specifically targets the use of software to bypass security measures on ticketing websites.

This law aims to level the playing field for genuine fans by making it illegal to use scalper bots to purchase tickets.

Across the pond, the UK’s Digital Economy Act 2017 also criminalizes the use of bots for ticket scalping, reflecting a growing global awareness of the issue.

Countries like Canada and Australia have followed suit with their own regulations to curb the use of scalper bots. However, enforcing these laws remains a significant challenge. Scalpers often operate in the shadows, using sophisticated methods to evade detection and continue their activities.

Even when scalping itself isn’t illegal, its impact can be profoundly negative. Scalpers drive up prices, making it nearly impossible for genuine fans to purchase tickets at face value.

Moreover, deceptive reselling tactics can lead to financial losses for consumers, tarnishing the reputation of businesses and eroding trust in online marketplaces.

How to Stop Scalper Bots

Here’s how you and your favorite online retailers can fight against specialized scalper bots!

Implementing advanced bot protection solutions, which utilize techniques like CAPTCHAs, multi-factor authentication, and layered security approaches, is crucial for securing websites against these automated attacks.

For Businesses

• Advanced Captcha Systems: Implement dynamic captchas that adjust difficulty based on user behavior.
• Behavioral Analysis: Use AI to identify suspicious activity, such as rapid page refreshes or abnormal checkout speeds.
• Device Fingerprinting: Track device parameters to spot bots disguised as legitimate users.
• IP Blocking and Proxy Detection: Monitor and block IP addresses linked to proxy networks commonly used by bots.
• Purchase Limits: Restrict how many items a single account or IP address can buy.
• Bot Mitigation Solutions: Invest in a bot mitigation solution that is both effective and easy to deploy. Look for advanced software tools that detect bot activity and provide layers of protection, ensuring minimal interference with legitimate users.

For Consumers

• Be Prepared: Save your payment details and log in early during product drops.
• Avoid Secondary Markets: Don’t support scalpers by paying inflated prices.
• Support Anti-Bot Legislation: Advocate for stronger laws against bot operators.
  

How a VPN Can Help Against Scalper Bots

You're reading this on Mysterium VPN's turf, after all, right? We're here to help!

Avoiding IP-Based Blocking by Scalper Bots

Some scalper bots target specific users or regions by scanning IP addresses. If you're being blocked or deprioritized due to your geographic location, using a VPN to change your IP address can help.

For example, during highly anticipated product drops, bots may overwhelm servers in certain regions, making access slower for legitimate users in those areas.

Preventing Tracking by Scalpers or Malicious Bots

VPNs encrypt your internet traffic, making it harder for scalper bots or malicious actors to track your browsing habits.

While this doesn’t stop bots from buying products, it protects your data from being scraped by bots that create fake accounts or use your information to bypass security.

Bypassing Geo-Restrictions

Some e-commerce sites limit sales to specific regions to combat bots.

If a retailer enforces geographic restrictions during a product drop or event, using a VPN to connect from an allowed location can give you access.

Improved Privacy and Security

VPNs protect against other threats, such as malicious bots that steal saved credit card details or scrape your data for fake account creation.

By encrypting your connection, a VPN prevents your information from being intercepted on insecure networks.

Limitations of VPNs in Combating Scalper Bots

• VPNs Don’t Block Bots: Scalper bots don’t directly target individual users—they target retailers' systems. A VPN doesn’t prevent bots from purchasing items faster than you or reduce the bot traffic overwhelming a site.
• Limited Impact on Website Performance: A VPN cannot speed up a retailer’s overloaded servers or guarantee better access during high-demand situations caused by bot activity.
• No Role in Bypassing Captcha or Bot Mitigation: Captcha systems, multi-factor authentication, and other bot mitigation tools are designed to stop automated systems, not individuals. A VPN won’t help you bypass these protections, as they are aimed at distinguishing between bots and legitimate users.

The Future of Scalper Bots

The arms race between bot developers and anti-bot solutions will continue to escalate. As bots become more sophisticated, businesses must adopt equally advanced mitigation strategies.

Emerging Trends

• Machine Learning in Bot Mitigation: AI will be pivotal in identifying and stopping bots in real time.
• Behavioral Biometrics: Tracking user interaction patterns to distinguish genuine users from bots.

Final Thoughts

Scalper bots aren’t just a technological nuisance—they impact real people. Whether a fan misses out on Taylor Swift tickets or a gamer cannot buy a PS5, the frustration is universal.

Businesses must step up with robust bot mitigation strategies, and consumers must advocate for fairness in online markets.

By understanding how scalper bots work and their far-reaching effects, we can push for a fairer digital shopping experience where genuine users—not bots—get the first chance.

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