As Taylor Swift prepares to perform her final three sold-out shows at the Rogers Center this week, many victims of an alleged ticket scam are trying to find answers to what happened.

Victims who spoke to CTV News Toronto identified a Burlington woman as the person they purchased tickets from, but failed to deliver them.

They claimed Denise Tisor, 43, who allegedly used the name Denise Blackhawk on Facebook, accepted nearly $300,000 for more than 400 tickets.

Several victims said they were sure Tisor would get them tickets because they knew her, and many had bought tickets from her in the past.

Allison, from Durham Region, told CTV News Toronto she felt somehow connected to Tisor after purchasing tickets last summer. They exchanged occasional text messages, and Tisor even helped Allison use a website to print tickets to give to three young girls on Christmas morning as a surprise.

In a video taken that morning and shared with CTV News, the girls broke into song after receiving the tickets.

It was only last week that they learned the tickets weren’t real.

“I wanted to go so bad and it turned out we didn’t get to go,” Allison’s seven-year-old daughter said.

Allison was surprised to learn how many people paid Tisor for tickets.

“There were hundreds of us. There are hundreds of us who believe her. And she was so good. That’s just how I felt,” she said.

Allison said she heard about Tisor through a friend, LeAnne Underwood. Last summer, Underwood bought Tisor tickets to see Pink at the Rogers Center.

“We went there in the summer and had a great time as if we were actually there. So that was reassuring because we had the tickets,” Underwood told CTV News Toronto.

Burlington elementary school teacher Tammy Allen also purchased Swift tickets from Tisor for her 13-year-old daughter. Tisor’s children attend Allen’s school and have known each other for a decade.

“I was like, I know this woman. Like his kids go to my school,” Allen said.

They were supposed to attend the Nov. 16 concert, but two days before, Allen learned the tickets might not arrive. After speaking with friends, Allen called Tisor.

“I just said, ‘I need you to explain this to me. Am I breaking my daughter’s heart tonight? Like, I don’t have tickets? Don’t we have his money? And she said, ‘We don’t have your tickets,'” Allen said.

Through tears, Allen said she waited hours to tell her daughter.

“You just know that the inevitable is going to break someone’s heart, and it’s just about trying to find the time to rip the bandage off. And unfortunately, for her, it was the car ride home from a winning hockey game,” she said, recalling her daughter crying and in disbelief.

Allen said Tisor initially informed her that the tickets came from a corporate connection, but on Friday she said the money went to a third party named Mark Harlow and that Harlow disappeared after the transfer. ‘money.

CTV News contacted Tisor by phone last week. At the time, Tisor said she too was a victim, adding: “I have already made a report to the police.” CTV News found Tisor at her Burlington home on Tuesday, but she declined to speak.

Many of those who gave their money to Tisor question this story.

A Burlington woman created a Google Doc for people who gave Tisor money for Taylor Swift tickets. She did not want to use her name but said the numbers were surprising.

“When you start to see the large number of tickets, 420 tickets is a lot of tickets,” she said.

As more alleged victims contacted her, other irregularities began to become apparent.

“Some (tickets) are sold two or three times for the same show, in the same row… just like tickets were sold multiple times,” she said.

Perhaps what is most surprising is the total amount. According to the woman, more than $295,000 was paid to Tisor for these tickets.

In Kingston, a teacher named Lindsay said she asked Tisor about his return policy.

“And I said, ‘Well, what if something happens like the concert gets canceled or something?’ Then she said, I’ll just give you your money back,’” Lindsay said.

When Lindsay found out the tickets wouldn’t arrive, she was told the same story: a third-party seller had ghosted Tisor. Lindsay asked Tisor to work with everyone who had lost money.

“I like joining our team because there are a lot of us,” Lindsay said, adding that Tisor “didn’t respond and she obviously deleted us all from Facebook.”

Halton police have confirmed they have launched a criminal investigation into an alleged scam in Burlington and are urging anyone who may be a victim to contact them.

Tammy Allen said she wants to see police investigate and bring charges to restore her daughter’s faith.

“I just want to be able to tell my daughter and her friends that what happened is not acceptable and there is nothing we can do about it now. But our justice system can,” she said.