Listen to this article
Dear 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated using text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.
A small business owner in Mount Pearl says she was the victim of a scam and is warning others before the holidays.
Claudia Fimbres, owner of Mamacita Latin Kitchen and Market, told CBC News that she unknowingly signed up for a fake seasonal market, at a cost of $150.
“I started doing more research and then it was like… it disappeared. There was no publication about it, there was no information,” Fimbres said. “I never received a response.” [from] them.”
Fimbres said he saw the Facebook post in November. The sign asked vendors to join a Christmas market in the historic St. John neighborhood, Quidi Vidi, on December 6 and 7. The location would be Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios.
Fimbres said he approached the sign on Facebook, was asked $100 to reserve a small booth and received an email with a pass to the event. They then asked him for another $50 to cover the license fee and warned him that if he didn’t send the money, he would lose his booth.
Then they asked for another $40 to pay for parking.
Fimbres said he began to suspect something was wrong and decided to leave the event and ask for a refund. He received no response and after a few days, he contacted the real Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios.
That’s when he discovered that the poster was a scam, taking information from a real event. Happy Creators Market — happening on the same weekend and in the same place.
Daniel Rumbolt, CEO of Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studio, said this is not the first time scammers have used his name or events for fake posts. But not on this scale.
“We found about half a dozen in different Facebook groups. Some groups had several posts in a row,” he said. “They all seemed a little different, but it was very evident that they stole the images from the posters we designed.”
Claudia Fimbres, owner of Mamacita Latin Kitchen and Market, is eager to get the name and business out in the community. So when he saw an upcoming market, he signed up (and paid) without knowing it didn’t exist. CBC’s Gema Pazmiño reports.
But all was not lost. The organizers of the Merry Makers Market invited Fibers to join the royal event after learning of their situation.
“[It’s] super frustrating because you have the best intentions, like obviously, promoting your business, being there, doing [a] “Presence,” he said. “When these types of situations happen it’s like… what a bummer.”
In a statement to CBC News, the RNC warns business owners to be careful when making payments to unknown people or organizations and to report any suspicious online activity.
Download our free CBC news app to sign up to receive automatic alerts from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Register in our daily headline newsletter here. Click here to visit our home page.
