We’re getting into the warmer months here in the US—especially here in Michigan (finally!)—which means it’s time for craft shows, farmers’ markets, and all kinds of events for small businesses.
Unfortunately, this is also when we see a spike in scams. We’ve seen vendors lose anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars—and even brick-and-mortar businesses aren’t immune.
One common scam involves fake profiles or emails posing as event organizers. They’ll try to get you to sign up or send payment when they aren’t actually affiliated with the event.
It’s always a good idea to verify the organizer by contacting the official venue or checking the event’s official website or social pages.
These emails can also be phishing attempts to collect your personal information.
A few red flags to watch for:
- Suspicious email addresses (random characters, misspellings, or free domains like @hotmail when it should be an organization)
- Messages with odd wording, poor grammar, or inconsistent details
- Requests for payment through unusual methods (gift cards, personal PayPal, etc.)
- Pressure to “act fast” or risk losing your spot
- Information that doesn’t match what’s posted publicly elsewhere
When in doubt, pause and double-check before sending any money or information.
What other scams have you seen around vendor events? Any tips or tricks you use to avoid them?
We get these all the time, I'm just glad we have been around long enough that we have all our fairs lined up and not looking for any new ones.
Another thing we have seen increasing is people trying to use Movie money, it looks just like real money but at the top where it says United States of America, it says For Motion Picture Purposes. Below is a photo of them. Another thing we've ran into is people are bleaching 1.00 bills and printing 100.00 on the paper, with a normal counterfeit pen it shows it's real. We use the machines that read the metal strip inside the bills.
When we got the movie money I did a little research and for 15.00 you can buy 10,000.00 in movie money 100 dollar bills. That’s just an easy incentive for criminals, the spend 15.00 and play the law of averages.
something else I’ve been seeing and happening quite a bit at the giant flea market they have at The Rose Bowl Stadium. People are recording the sound that Apple Pay makes when it’s approved. They make a purchase, put their phone up to pay with Apple Pay, play the approval sound and grab the item and leave before the seller realizes what has happened. We train our people to hold the bag until the receipt is printed. You can never be too. Careful.
