Ontario mother scammed out of $1,800 in Taylor Swift ticket scam

An Ontario mother lost $1,800 hoping to get Taylor Swift tickets for her seven-year-old daughter.

"I don't understand how someone could just take advantage of someone and their hard-earned money, and it was a gift for a seven-year-old girl," Dana Caputo, of Tottenham, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.

Swift brings her Eras Tour -- the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, passing the $1 billion mark -- to Toronto in November. The mega popstar will play six shows at the Rogers Centre, and fans have been scrambling to find tickets, although some Swifties were scammed in the process.

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Caputo wanted to surprise her daughter, Gia, with tickets to one of the Toronto shows, and a co-worker said a friend had posted on Facebook that they had a pair for sale. 

After Caputo sent $1,800 to the person, she said they kept asking for more money, claiming it was for service fees and other charges. Caputo said she then learned her co-worker's friend's account had been hacked, and she had been scammed.

"As soon as I started asking questions and calling them out, that's when all the messages they had sent me were erased and I never heard from them again," said Caputo.

Eric Alper, a music publicist, said if anyone actually had Swift tickets for sale, they wouldn't be selling them on social media.

"Nobody is selling their Taylor Swift tickets on Facebook, nobody," said Alper. "It's so common to see posts from people on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter claiming to have extra tickets and unless you actually know the seller, it's best to ignore those types of transactions."

Peel Regional Police recently warned fans that fake tickets for Swift's upcoming shows have been circulating online, urging them to be wary when buying tickets from someone and encouraging them to contact the poster through other means before transferring any money.

Alper said to use certified ticket reseller sites like StubHub or SeatGeek to avoid getting ripped off. While the ticket may be more expensive, fans will receive the tickets they purchase.

When CTV News Toronto checked StubHub, we found a few available tickets for the Toronto dates, but seats farthest from the stage started at around $3,000 to $5,000. Some seats that were closer to the stage were $8,000 to $10,000, with the priciest hovering at around $15,000.

Alper said if you don't have tickets by now and don't want to spend a small fortune, it may be best to sit this concert out.

"If you're a mom or a dad looking to make your kid's year, now may be the time to have a life lesson and explain to them the meaning of supply and demand," said Alper.

Caputo wanted to share her story to warn other families so they can avoid disappointment if they're searching for tickets.

"Hopefully, no one else falls into the trap that I did," said Caputo.