What Makes an Event Legitimate? Red Flags to Watch For

The fake event

The pattern is remarkably consistent:

• 1. A scammer creates a new or recently-created Facebook profile, sometimes using a stolen profile photo.
• 2. They post in local craft fair and market Facebook groups advertising a "Craft Fayre" or "Artisan Market" at a named, real venue; a village hall or community centre.
• 3. They share a booking form (often Google Forms) collecting your name, address, business name, phone number, and product description.
• 4. They request payment via bank transfer, PayPal Friends & Family, or another method with limited buyer protection.
• 5. Once enough payments are collected, the profile is deleted or goes silent. The venue confirms no such event was ever booked.

The pitch fees are typically between £30 and £75; low enough that many sellers pay without much thought, but high enough to make the scam profitable at scale.

This pattern is not limited to craft fairs. The same approach has been used to advertise fake wedding fayres, car boot sales, and artisan markets at real venues. In May 2026, a garden centre in Kent and a hotel in Sittingbourne both had to post public warnings after scammers advertised fake events at their premises. In March 2026, East Ayrshire Council confirmed that a "Spring Craft Fair" advertised at a Kilmarnock community venue was fraudulent. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a consistent, nationwide pattern.

Hijacking a real event

This scam is harder to spot because the event is real, the host is real, and you started the conversation yourself.

How it works:

• 1. A legitimate host posts in a Facebook group asking for stallholders for a genuine event at a real venue.
• 2. Stallholders comment publicly expressing interest.
• 3. A scammer monitors the post and privately messages individual stallholders who have commented, claiming to be the host or a member of the host's team.
• 4. Because the stallholder has already expressed interest and is expecting to be contacted, the message does not feel suspicious.
• 5. The scammer asks for stall fees via PayPal Friends & Family, bank transfer, or another method with limited buyer protection.
• 6. By the time the real host notices and posts a warning, several stallholders have already paid.

Why this one is harder to spot:

The fake event scam relies on an event that does not exist. You can catch it by calling the venue. This one is different: the event is genuine, the venue is real, and you made the first move by commenting on a legitimate post. The scammer does not need to build any credibility because they are borrowing the host's.

Your guard is down because everything about the situation feels normal. Being contacted via DM after expressing interest on a Facebook post is exactly how booking works in many parts of this community. The scammer is exploiting that expectation.

Hosts are aware of this problem. Many now include warnings on their posts ("do not pay anyone who contacts you; all payments go through my business page only"), but these warnings often come after the scam has already started, and not everyone sees them.

Why these scams work

Both of these scams rely on the same weakness: there is no way to verify who you are actually dealing with, or whether the event is real, until you go and check for yourself. Booking platforms that verify hosts, publish full event details, and handle payments through proper channels remove most of these risks by design.

Red flags to watch for

These warning signs should make you pause before paying:

• The organiser's Facebook profile is new; created within the last few months, with very few posts, no photos from previous events, and a mismatch between follower count and claimed experience.
• There is no proper event page; just a post in a group with "DM me for details" and no public event listing. Genuine organisers typically create a Facebook Event page or have a website.
• Payment is requested via bank transfer or PayPal Friends & Family; methods with limited or no buyer protection. Legitimate organisers typically use invoices, payment platforms with buyer protection, or take payment after confirming your booking.
• Pressure to pay quickly; "Only 3 spots left!" combined with a request to pay immediately and limited event details is a common pressure tactic.
• No clear terms and conditions; no cancellation or refund policy, no booking confirmation, no terms of trade. Legitimate organisers have these.
• Location details are vague or inaccurate; scammers often Google nearby place names and get local details wrong.
• Fake testimonials; comments from other profiles praising a "wonderful event" on a brand-new post, often from accounts that look suspiciously similar to the organiser's.
• The organiser contacts you via a personal Facebook profile rather than a business page, or asks you to pay into a personal bank account rather than a named business account.
• Comments are disabled on the post, making it harder for others to warn you or share their experience.
• The organiser blocks you or stops replying when you ask straightforward questions about the event, the venue, or the payment process.
• You receive a follow-up message claiming your first payment did not go through and asking you to pay again. This is a known tactic; check with your bank or payment provider before sending a second payment.
• The post offers unusual incentives to attract stallholders quickly, such as free refreshments or heavily discounted pitch fees for a two-day event.

What a legitimate event looks like

A genuine craft fair organiser will typically:

• Have an established online presence; a website, a Facebook page (not just a personal profile) with a history of posts, photos from previous events, and genuine reviews or testimonials.
• Provide clear event details upfront; venue name and address, date and times, expected footfall, stall sizes, what is included (table, power, etc.), and any restrictions.
• Offer a proper booking process; a written confirmation, terms and conditions, a cancellation policy, and a receipt for your payment.
• Accept payment through traceable methods; card payments, invoices, or PayPal Goods & Services where buyer protection applies.
• Be willing to answer questions; about the venue, layout, parking, insurance requirements, and what other sellers are booked.
• Have a relationship with the venue; you can verify this by contacting the venue directly.
• Contact you from a business page or official email address, not a personal Facebook profile.
• Pay stall fees into a named business account (the account name should match the event or the organiser's business name), not a personal account.
• Send a receipt or written confirmation of your payment.

How to check before you book

These checks take minutes and can save you from losing money:

• Contact the venue directly; call them or check their official website and social media. Ask if the event is booked. This single check catches almost every scam.
• Search the organiser's name; Google their name or business name along with words like "scam", "review", or "craft fair". Check if others have raised concerns.
• Ask in the Facebook group; post asking if anyone has attended this organiser's events before. Genuine events will have past attendees. Be cautious of responses from brand-new accounts.
• Check for a website; a proper website with event history, contact details, and terms is a good sign. A Facebook post with no other online presence is not.
• Look at the payment method; if the only option is bank transfer or PayPal Friends & Family, ask for an alternative. A refusal to accept payment methods with buyer protection is a significant red flag.
• If someone messages you about an event, do not pay from the DM. Go back to the original post and contact the host directly through their listed business page, website, or email address. If the message is genuine, the host will confirm it. If it is not, you have just caught a scam.
• Check the venue's own social media. Venues that have been targeted by fake event scams often post public warnings on their Facebook page or website. A quick check can save you the phone call.
• Check the payment details. If you are asked to pay into a personal bank account (a person's name rather than a business name), ask why. Legitimate organisers typically use a business account, an invoicing platform, or a payment service with buyer protection.

What to do if you have been scammed

If you have paid for a stall and believe the event is fake:

• Report the post to the Facebook group admins immediately so it can be removed and others are warned.
• Report to Action Fraud; the UK's national fraud reporting centre. You can report online at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
• Contact your payment provider; PayPal Goods & Services and credit card payments offer some buyer protection and you may be able to get a refund. Bank transfers and PayPal Friends & Family typically offer no protection, but report the fraud to your bank anyway.
• Report to Trading Standards; you can do this via Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk).
• Warn other stallholders; share details in the Facebook groups where the event was advertised. The craft community looks out for each other, and your warning could save someone else.
• If the scam involved someone impersonating a real host, let the host know as well. They will want to warn other stallholders and may be able to help identify who was targeted.

Keep screenshots of the original post, your payment confirmation, and any messages with the organiser. These are useful evidence for fraud reports.