A woman from Burlington is facing charges for allegedly selling several people fraudulent Taylor Swift concert tickets for her six-show stop in Toronto, with police claiming the scam cost victims a combined $70,000.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) said the woman used the alias “Denise Blackhawk” on Facebook Marketplace and offered tickets for the Swift concerts at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
It’s alleged she provided various dates and seat locations for the concerts, and once a price was agreed on, buyers sent e-transfers to the accused for full payment of the tickets.
Police noted that some tickets were purchased in Aug. 2023 when they first became available online, and the accused advised the buyers that tickets would not be released until days before the concert, with shows kicking off on Nov. 14. Swift also performed on Nov. 15, Nov. 16, Nov. 22, Nov. 23 and Nov. 24.
TPS said that victims found that the concert tickets had not been transferred to their accounts on the concert day. When they requested their money back, the woman alleged it was gone.
Authorities confirmed that 28 people paid for the fraudulent tickets, totalling a combined $70,000.
TPS says there could be more victims
On Nov. 25, police arrested Denise Tisor of Burlington. She faces several charges, including fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, 32 counts of fraud under $5,000 and 32 counts of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
The accused is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 10, 2025.
Police believe there may be more victims, and authorities are working with the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) on the investigation.
Last week, the HRPS said it was investigating several instances of fraudulent ticket sales for Swift’s six-show stop in Toronto.
GTA police forces urged residents to be cautious when purchasing tickets and aware of potential frauds and scams.