An Ottawa couple is feeling responsible after they arranged to buy Taylor Swift tickets for their close extended family.
Thousands of dollars later and no tickets, they are telling their story in hopes it may serve as a warning for others.
Cybersecurity experts tell CTV News Ottawa that ticket scams for Taylor Swift shows are proving to be unprecedented and that buying from any third party always comes with risks.
Cybersecurity technology analyst Ritesh Kotak says it’s because Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets are a hot commodity.
“It has created this perfect storm for fraudsters and hackers to exploit,” he said. “And we’ve seen scams in overdrive.”
He says parents trying to give their children the experience of a lifetime is leading some to fall for tickets that aren’t real.
On Sunday, Melanie Keogh spoke to CTV News Ottawa, saying her 15-year-old daughter Jordan and her five friends, long time Taylor Swift fans, had been counting down the days to the concert, but now the families are counting their losses after losing over $22,000 to a scam.
“For the girls – to have to break to them that we weren’t going was horrendous,” said Keogh with tears in her eyes.
They had bought more than 30 tickets for Swift’s Nov. 23 show in Toronto, a large group made up of extended family and friends who would all attend the concert. Limos, hotels and a once-and-a-lifetime concert experience are now gone.
Sister-in-law Patricia Keogh says they used a broker they knew, had met face-to-face and had used before on many occasions for concerts and sporting events. But after weeks of seeming excuses, they now say they believe the tickets they purchased never existed.
“I can’t believe that somebody in this world would do that intentionally,” said Patricia Keogh.
They are far from the only ones feeling the pain. An apparent scam allegedly targeting roughly 400 people, many based out of Burlington, Ont., claim to be out approximately $300,000 after never receiving Eras Tour tickets.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says there have been 190 reports made from those affected by scams for those tickets.
Kotak says purchasing second-hand is always a risk.
“If you’re not buying from the original source, such as Ticketmaster or a verified reseller that’s approved by Ticketmaster, you’re taking a risk,” he said. “And there’s a chance that if something does go wrong, you’re not going to get your money back.”
He advises using a credit card when buying concert tickets because you may be able to get your money back afterwards. He also recommends buying from a reputable source that you can validate.
The Ottawa Police Service would not comment on the specific case, but Sgt. Cameron Graham with the Fraud Unit says as soon as Swift’s Toronto dates were announced last year, the fraud complaints started.
“If you are negotiating tickets, make sure you actually go see the person and see the tickets in person,” he said “And even then be careful because there are counterfeit tickets out there as well.
“It’s really on the person who’s trying to make the deal to protect themselves.”
The Keogh’s say they bought their original tickets for $780 a piece – far less than tickets are reselling for today so close to the concert, which are in the thousands of dollars.
Ticket scams are particularly devastating for parents like the Keogh’s trying to deliver their kids the experience of a lifetime.
“That’s really upsetting that we let our family down,” says Patricia Keogh on Sunday. “And it feels like we let our family down.”