An Ottawa family has been left heartbroken after they purchased tickets to Taylor Swift's much-anticipated Eras Tour for their family and friends, spending more than $22,000, only to discover they were victims of a scam.
It was supposed to be a weekend of sisterhood, bonding and magical music for Mel Keogh, her 15-year-old daughter Jordan and her friends and family at Swift's final Toronto show on Nov. 23.
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Keogh says her daughter and five friends had spent the last year making bracelets and choosing their outfits.
"(It's) all we've been talking about for over a year," Keogh said. "They are absolutely ecstatic. My daughter, I can speak to her specifically, knows every Taylor Swift song, every word, every album, every era, everything."
But Keogh says a few weeks ago, she learned the tickets they booked last August were never real.
The 14 and 15-year-olds were part of a large cohort of family, friends and neighbours who purchased tickets together through an independent ticket broker, who they say has now turned out to be a scam.
"To break it to the girls that we weren't going - was horrendous," Keogh said while fighting back tears.
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In all, 32 people purchased tickets together through the same broker, said Patricia Keogh, Mel's sister-in-law, with a total loss of about $25,000. The family purchased 28 of those tickets, with four tickets being purchased by neighbours who lost out on $3,000.
Patricia says nothing was amiss when she bought the tickets for the group last August. She had used the broker many times before, she says, for both concerts and sporting events.
She says there had been confirmation codes and seat numbers all sent to them, similar as it had been in the past. She says she thought they had done their due diligence.
"And that's really upsetting that we let our family down," she said. "How could we have not seen this? How did we get duped? We're smart people."
The family has filed a police report and contacted lawyers but they say, it's not about the money. Plans for a limo and hotels and a once in a lifetime concert experience is now gone for the family, says Patricia Keogh.
"It's gone, it's all gone."
The Eras Tour is officially sold out through Ticketmaster and resale tickets on sites like StubHub are selling for between $3,000 and $5,000 a ticket – out of reach for Melanie Keogh and her daughter.
The fake tickets were sold to them for $788 each.
Still, Keogh says she searches for a chance because she can't shake off letting down the Swifties.
"I still hope there's a way to get them to the concert," she said.
"I still hope."
