Food truck vendors warned about fraudulent schemes approaching as football season starts, according to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Warning Issued for Food Truck Scam Targeting Wisconsin Vendors During Football Season
During the football season, food truck vendors in Wisconsin are being targeted by scammers posing as event organizers. These scammers are requesting payment for fake "vendor fees" for supposed fan events through peer-to-peer payment apps such as Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WisDATCP) has issued a warning about this scam, emphasizing that these events and fees are fraudulent. The department advises food truck vendors to be cautious of scammer invitations to "fan events" during the football season.
Scammers may use multiple Gmail accounts to contact vendors, attempting to avoid automated spam filters. They may also "spoof" an email address, disguising it as a trustworthy source.
To protect themselves from scammers, food trucks and similar businesses are encouraged to follow these steps:
- Verify the event details and the authenticity of the contact before making any payments. If there is no public information about the event, or if the event is real but its official contact information differs from the suspicious message, the message should be considered a scam.
- Do not respond, click links, open attachments, or use contact information included in unsolicited and unverified emails.
- Instead of acting on a great offer right away, research the event details online.
- A trustworthy organization will not demand payment through a peer-to-peer banking app, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or with pre-paid gift cards.
If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, report it to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. By staying vigilant and following these steps, food truck vendors can help protect themselves from falling victim to this scam.
Despite the football season presenting opportunities for food truck vendors, they should be wary of scammers pretending to be event organizers asking for payments for fictitious "fan events". To safeguard their businesses, food truck vendors must verify the authenticity of events and contacts before making any payments, avoid clicking links, opening attachments, or using unverified contact information, and research events online before responding to offers, as legitimate organizations would not request payment through peer-to-peer apps or unconventional methods.
