Dealing With Scammers
A Deep Dive (With Real-World Scenarios)
Let’s Talk About the Scams That Nearly Work
Most stallholders don’t get scammed because they’re careless.
They get scammed because:
the message looks normal
the event sounds plausible
they don’t want to miss out
Scammers don’t rely on stupidity.
They rely on urgency + familiarity + politeness.
In this deep dive, we’re going to look at exactly how these scams play out and how to stop them before money leaves your account.
Example 1: “We’ve Had a Last-Minute Cancellation”
Hi lovely! We’ve just had a stallholder drop out of our Christmas Fair at [Well-Known Venue]. I’ve seen your work and think you’d be perfect. Stall is £45 - let me know quickly as we’re finalising the list tonight.
Why this works:
Compliment + urgency
Familiar setting (Christmas fair, known venue)
Feels personal, not automated
What to check:
Are other stallholders posting about this event publicly?
Does the organiser have previous posts about this specific fair?
Is the venue listing the event on their own website?
🚩 If the event only exists in DMs - pause.
Example 2: The Cloned Organiser
This is one of the most common and hardest to spot.
What happens:
A scammer copies a real organiser’s name and photos
Creates a nearly identical Facebook page
Starts messaging stallholders from the fake account
The giveaway:
Fewer posts than the original
Slight spelling differences
Newer page creation date
Pro tip:
If you’re unsure, message the organiser through their website or original page and ask if they’re the one who contacted you.
Example 3: “Bank Transfer Only, Please”
This alone doesn’t mean scam - many genuine organisers use bank transfer.
But paired with:
no invoice
no written terms
pressure to pay quickly
…it becomes risky.
Ask yourself:
Does the account name match the organiser?
Have you paid this person before?
Would you be able to evidence this transaction if something went wrong?
Scammers prefer methods that are hard to reverse.
Why “Just £30–£50” Still Matters
A lot of stallholders brush this off with:
“It’s not a huge amount.”
That’s exactly the point.
Scammers rely on volume.
If 20 people send £35, that’s £700 - and the account disappears.
Your money matters. Your time matters. Your trust matters.
What To Do When Something Feels Off (But You’re Not Sure)
You don’t need proof. You need permission to pause.
Try:
“Can I come back to you tomorrow?”
“Can you send photos from your last event?”
Scammers either:
push harder
disappear
get defensive
All useful information.
If You’ve Already Been Caught
Let’s be clear: this happens to smart, experienced sellers.
Do this immediately:
Stop replying
Contact your bank
Report the profile
Warn others (factually, calmly)
You are not embarrassing the community - you’re protecting it.
The Real Skill Isn’t Spotting Scams — It’s Slowing Down
Scammers succeed when you’re:
busy
excited
trying to be polite
You’re allowed to:
ask questions
say no
walk away
A good event will welcome that.
Your free, downloadable checklist
Run through this list when you are booking your next event. If you calmly walk yourself through this list, you can be sure that you are taking as much precaution as you can against these scammers.