Market warns over stall-holder social media scam

Emma Sanders, from Bolton Gate Arts, said seeing such scams was disgusting

An organiser of a Christmas market is urging people to check directly over booking stalls with them after fake bookings were advertised on social media.

Bogus spots at markets at places including Burton-upon-Trent and Bolton Gate Farm in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire were posted in local social media groups.

"Lovely, creative people" were asked to message the person who posted them, to pay £30 to reserve a stall.

But Emma Sanders, from Bolton Gate Arts, said it was a scam and it disgusted her.

"As a business we try and support other small local businesses. This is their livelihood. This is how they make money for their families," she added.

The post was published in a local events group for Stoke-on-Trent about the market in Weston Coyney, similar to other scam posts elsewhere in the country.

"They'll create a new name, a new photo but it'll usually be similar text," explained Ms Sanders.

'More and more of these scams'

The same post with different addresses was posted to similar local groups, claiming to be organising Christmas markets all over the country.

Ms Sanders advised stallholders interested in any market to look up the business, contact them and book directly.

She added if social media users saw similar scams they should "comment, report them to group admins or report them to Facebook" to stop them from spreading.

Tony Shore, from Staffordshire County Council trading standards, said they were seeing "more and more of these scams" on social media.

"Quite a lot of these scams are coming from fake accounts to make it look like someone real is using it," he warned.

He suggested people used alternative search engines to check the identity of a social media user and be wary of requests to make upfront payments.

Listen on Sounds: BBC Radio Stoke try organising a radio interview with the Facebook poster