CORNELIA — Potential vendors beware of an apparent scam offering booth space at the upcoming Big Red Apple Festival.
The warning follows an unsolicited email received by Habersham News from someone claiming to represent Cornelia Main Street. The message offered last-minute booth reservations for the Sept. 26 festival and requested payments ranging from $125 to $510.
The person sending the email identified herself as “Candy Stanley.” However, Stanley does not work for the City of Cornelia and is not authorized to accept vendor applications or booth payments on the city’s behalf.
Habersham News notified city officials about the message.
The email claimed that booth availability was limited because of “late cancellations and high demand.” It urged recipients to act immediately and said the remaining spaces would be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Recipients were asked to provide their full name, business name, telephone number, business description and preferred booth size. The message also said a $25 refundable cleanup deposit was included in each booth price and promised an immediate confirmation after payment.
Those claims should not be trusted.
The email contains several common signs of a scam, including awkward grammar, pressure to act quickly, a request for personal information and instructions to arrange payment through an individual who is not employed by the event organizer.
The message also includes a link to the legitimate Big Red Apple Festival Facebook event. Scammers commonly include genuine event links and accurate location information to make fraudulent offers appear credible.
The festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, at 102 Grant Place in downtown Cornelia. However, the email lists the hours as 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while published event information lists the festival as running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The City of Cornelia sends official communications concerning booth opportunities. Vendors should verify that any message actually came from a city employee before providing information or making a payment.
Anyone receiving a booth offer from “Candy Stanley”, or “paidnewest@gmail.com” or another unfamiliar person should:
- Not reply to the message.
- Not provide personal or business information.
- Not send a deposit or booth payment.
- Avoid opening attachments or following payment links.
- Verify the offer directly with the City of Cornelia.
- Report the message as spam or fraud.
Cornelia City Hall can be reached at 706-778-8585. That number should be entered directly rather than obtained from a suspicious message.
Anyone who has already sent money should immediately contact the bank, credit-card company or payment service used for the transaction and report the payment as potentially fraudulent.
