With COVID-19 restrictions easing up, many people are looking forward to fun festivals this summer. As usual, scammers are finding ways to take advantage of this building excitement. This time, they are cashing in with phony events.
How the Scam Works
You see an amazing deal on tickets to a summer festival in your area, usually through a link on social media. The event promises live music, all-you-can-eat meals, craft beer or wine, or other fun activities.
When you click the social media link, it takes you to a professional-looking website with fantastic pictures. You enter your credit card information to buy tickets, and you think you are all set. But, buyer beware: BBB Scam Tracker has received numerous reports from people who bought tickets to events that turned out to be fake.
One consumer who purchased tickets to a fake beer crawl reported: “Reviews across multiple platforms make it clear that these events are at best extremely misleading or at worst not even real. No refunds are given, even when their inconsistent and mostly-unreachable customer service email address responds to confirm a refund will be provided.”
One Indiana business reported a scammer using their address to host fake business classes: “A company is supposedly hosting Business Trainings and Seminars at our business location. The address they are using is not their address. There are NO reservations for conference rooms or office spaces on any of the days these events are supposedly taking place….
