Some Ottawa residents lose up to $2,000 in fake Taylor Swift ticket scam

Ottawa police say they’ve seen an increase in reports of fake ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s sold-out Toronto shows due to what they’re describing as online ticket scams.

Demand is high for next year’s six shows in Toronto, the only Canadian stop on Swift’s global Eras Tour, and are expected to draw fans from all over the country and beyond.

The OPS Fraud Investigation Unit said they have received an increased number of reports of fake Taylor Swift ticket sales, with fraudsters targeting fans through Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace.

According to the OPS, some victims have lost upwards of 2,000. In all, scammers have taken more than $12,000 in the last three days from people from Ottawa looking for tickets.

Police are urging buyers to take time to meet with prospective sellers and inspect what they are acquiring before closing the deal. Fraud Unit investigators said they’re seeing a recent trend where buyers place large deposits on unseen goods with unknown sellers, only to never receive the product.

“This really is a buyer-beware situation, and residents need to be smart about how they shop online.” said Cst. Shaun Wahbeh, with the OPS Fraud Unit.