What to know
- A Hamilton couple pleaded guilty to fraud after admitting to selling fake Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets to 107 victims, resulting in more than $265,000 in losses.
- Court documents reportedly allege the couple knowingly carried out the scheme, with a significant portion of the proceeds used for online gambling before large cash withdrawals were also made.
- One of the accused, Denise Tisor, issued a public apology on Facebook, saying a severe gambling addiction fueled her actions and that she is now working toward recovery while accepting responsibility.
- Tisor was first arrested in 2024 after police alleged she used Facebook Marketplace to sell fraudulent concert tickets, collecting payments through e-transfers before victims were left without tickets.
- The case is one of several high-profile scams linked to Taylor Swift’s Toronto Eras Tour shows, prompting repeated warnings from police for fans to be cautious when purchasing tickets through unofficial sellers.
A couple from Hamilton has reportedly pleaded guilty to selling $265,000 worth of fake Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets.
Hamilton resident Denise Tisor and her partner David Blake pled guilty to a count of fraud on Wednesday in front of a Milton court.
The couple allegedly scammed 107 victims into buying fake Eras Tour tickets between August 2023 and November 2024, totalling $265,330 in fraud.
Allen had originally told media outlets that the money had been stolen from her by a third party, but court documents reportedly indicate the couple was aware they were scamming the victims and used about $139,144 of the money to place gambling bets on several platforms.
They also withdrew cash from ATMs during the same period, totalling over $297,000.
Scammer apologized publicly
On Wednesday, Tisor, who went by Blackhawk Denise on Facebook, apologized publicly for the scams.
In a Facebook post, she revealed she had been dealing with severe gambling addiction at the time the scam was carried out, and apologized for everyone who was hurt by her actions.
“Addiction consumed my thinking. At the time, all I cared about was feeding that addiction. Looking back, I can see how much pain it caused, and I have to live with that every day. I wish I had recognized how serious it had become before it spiraled so far out of control,” she wrote.
“Today, I simply want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry to everyone who was affected by my actions…There are people I think about every day, and not being able to apologize sooner has weighed heavily on my heart.”
Tisor said she’d wanted to publicly apologize sooner, but said she was advised not to do so. In the post, she also revealed she is currently working on her addiction recovery, and said she will continue to take responsibility for her actions.
“I understand that not everyone will accept my apology, and I respect that. Forgiveness is not something I’m entitled to or expect. I simply felt it was important to finally acknowledge the pain I caused and sincerely apologize,” she added.
Tisor was arrested in 2024
Tisor was first arrested in 2024, suspected of selling fraudulent tickets to 28 victims. At the time, she was facing 66 charges, including fraud over and under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
Police had said at the time that she carried the scams through Facebook Marketplace, providing concert goers with various dates and seat locations for the concerts. After negotiation, Tisor would allegedly receive the payment through e-transfers and later tell the victims the tickets wouldn’t be received until days before the concert.
However, once the concert dates arrived, they never received the tickets.
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This was only one of the ticket scams linked to Swift’s Eras Tour concerts, which took place between Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 21-23 in 2024.
At the time, police warned residents against fraud, after several reported incidents of scams emerged.
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