Don't Go Home Hungry, Broke, Crabby By Food Event Scams

SANTA CLARA, CA --

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is warning residents to be cautious about buying tickets to food festivals boasting such treats as "All You Can Eat Pupusas" or "Bottomless Brunch and Never-Ending Mimosas."

The District Attorney’s Office cautions that some food events recently promoted locally and in other states never happened - leaving ticket holders hungry and without refunds. Sometimes the phantom events are not food-related, such as fun runs.

Crab feed cons and sushi fest scams have been promoted throughout the country -- with some in San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix and Chicago. Tickets run between $15 and $105 for "VIP" treatment. For example, a "bottomless brunch" event complete with "juicy prime rib, steamed crab, decadent cake and bottom less champagne" was promoted with a full-page advertisement in a local newspaper and on Facebook for next January.

No such events are scheduled. Law enforcement believe it is a scam. Detectives are convinced the scammers advertise for the events on Facebook and some legitimate publications, pocket the ticket proceeds through PayPal and Shopify then disappear before victims realize there is no such event.

The following tips to avoid falling for a scam:

• Research the event and organizer by asking yourself if the website looks professional (typos and sparse details could be a clue) and whether there is there a contact name and telephone number
• Check with the venue to see if the event is scheduled
• Check the refund policy
• Pay by credit card or another form of payment that has some form of fraud protection.
• If you've already paid, contact the payment processor or credit card company to see if you can get a refund
• Change your credit card number if used, as it may have been compromised
• If you've been scammed, call the Santa Clara Police Department at 408-615-4700 or the District Attorney’s Consumer Mediation Unit at 408-792-2880 to file a consumer complaint

--Image via Shutterstock