The Michigan Attorney General’s Office is warning about fraudulent Facebook pages that target fairs and festivals.
The scam pages try to trick vendors into paying fake booth fees.
The scams use real photos, descriptions, and branding to look authentic. Vendors are told to reserve a booth by texting and then send payments through a third-party app, directly to scammers’ accounts.
Officials say the scams can damage the reputation of well-known events, cause customers to lose trust, and scam hardworking vendors out of their money.
Before paying any fees, vendors should always verify an event through its official website.
To protect their money, vendors are advised to use a credit card with fraud protection when paying fees. Payments made through third-party apps are harder to recover once sent to scammers.