Mom of girl with brain cancer in Brookhaven loses thousands in Taylor Swift ticket scam

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - The mother of a young girl in Brookhaven with brain cancer says scammers stole hundreds of dollars from her by offering fake Taylor Swift tickets.  

Now, she has a big warning for other fans who find tickets on social media that seem too good to be true. 

Caroline Brewer, 10, absolutely adores Taylor Swift. Diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer about seven years ago, her mother wanted to do something nice for her.  

Unfortunately, scammers seized on that opportunity. 

"She’s a total Swifty, just like most 10-year-old girls," Caroline's mom, Jamie Brewer, said. "She plays all her music; she even has a little playroom that’s designed as a Taylor Swift room. She had a birthday party that was Taylor Swift-themed." 

When Jamie saw one of her friends post on Facebook that they had an extra pair of tickets for a Miami show in October, she jumped at the chance.  

"They were at a really good price, so we private messaged back and forth," Brewer said. 

Normally, the tickets are about $2,000 each.  

However, the scammer, posing as her friend, offered four tickets for $460.  

"I sent it through PayPal and once I sent it, another person’s name popped up," Brewer explained. 

At that moment, warning bells went off, and she realized she’d been scammed.  

There were no tickets.  

The mother of 10-year-old Caroline Brewer was bilked out hundreds of dollars in a fake Taylor Swift ticket scam. 

Days later, her PayPal account was in the red by another $1,850.  

"It’s so crushing. Especially because it’s something my daughter has always wanted – to see Taylor Swift," Brewer said. 

Caroline has had four brain surgeries and just had a spine surgery. The cancer has been relentless.  

Jamie didn’t have the heart to tell her daughter about the scam.  

"I did not tell her about this. I just didn’t want her even to know that she might’ve had tickets and didn’t. She wouldn’t probably understand that," she said. 

Jamie is sharing her story so other well-meaning parents or fans don’t fall into the same trap.  

"Just know that they’re pulling people for things like this, and that’s how they get their money," she warned. 

Brewer said she filed a report with Brookhaven police, but there’s not much they can do since the scammers could be anywhere.  

Many ticket suppliers suggest using official ticket exchange websites to ensure tickets are legitimate. 

Brewer asked anyone looking to help to donate to the Atlanta-based Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.