What are the red flags of this scam?

The invitation email uses a personal Gmail or Hotmail address — legitimate event organizers send from their own domain (e.g. @craftnovascotia.ca, @stjacobsmarket.com) • You are asked to pay a vendor table deposit by Interac e-Transfer rather than through an official registration portal with a payment receipt • The event name, dates, and venue look plausible but cannot be confirmed on the organizer's official website or social media • The email creates urgency — 'only a few tables left,' 'respond within 48 hours to secure your spot' • The invitation arrived unsolicited, even though you never applied for this specific event — scraped vendor lists are common • The organizer refuses to provide a phone number or official registration confirmation number before you pay

What should I do if this happened to me?

Before paying any deposit, look up the event organizer's official website independently and call the number listed there — do not use contact details in the email • Verify the invitation by emailing the organizer from a fresh message to an address you found on their official site — not by replying to the invitation email • Legitimate craft shows send invoices through established platforms (PayPal, Square, Eventbrite) or direct bank transfer with an official receipt — not e-Transfer to a Gmail • If you already sent an e-Transfer: contact your bank immediately — if the recipient has not yet accepted it, the transfer can sometimes be cancelled • Report the fraudulent email address and event name to Craft Nova Scotia or the relevant regional craft council — they can warn other artisans quickly • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

MEDIUM marketplace Last reported: Oct 24, 2026 Share

An email invites you to be a craft show or farmers market vendor — the deposit goes to a scammer

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Scammers email artisans and craft sellers impersonating real event organizers, inviting them to reserve a vendor table at an upcoming craft show or farmers market for a $250–$500 Interac e-Transfer deposit to a Gmail or personal account. No table exists. Craft Nova Scotia confirmed four simultaneous campaigns in September 2026.

Scammers email artisans and craft sellers impersonating real event organizers, inviting them to reserve a vendor table at an upcoming craft show or farmers market for a $250–$500 Interac e-Transfer deposit to a Gmail or personal account. No table exists. Craft Nova Scotia confirmed four simultaneous campaigns in September 2026.

Also known as: fake craft fair vendor email Canada, craft show vendor deposit scam, fake farmers market application scam Canada, artisan market deposit fraud, fake vendor table reservation scam

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Before paying any deposit, look up the event organizer's official website independently and call the number listed there — do not use contact details in the email
2 Verify the invitation by emailing the organizer from a fresh message to an address you found on their official site — not by replying to the invitation email
3 Legitimate craft shows send invoices through established platforms (PayPal, Square, Eventbrite) or direct bank transfer with an official receipt — not e-Transfer to a Gmail
4 If you already sent an e-Transfer: contact your bank immediately — if the recipient has not yet accepted it, the transfer can sometimes be cancelled
5 Report the fraudulent email address and event name to Craft Nova Scotia or the relevant regional craft council — they can warn other artisans quickly
6 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ The invitation email uses a personal Gmail or Hotmail address — legitimate event organizers send from their own domain (e.g. @craftnovascotia.ca, @stjacobsmarket.com)
⚠ You are asked to pay a vendor table deposit by Interac e-Transfer rather than through an official registration portal with a payment receipt
⚠ The event name, dates, and venue look plausible but cannot be confirmed on the organizer's official website or social media
⚠ The email creates urgency — 'only a few tables left,' 'respond within 48 hours to secure your spot'
⚠ The invitation arrived unsolicited, even though you never applied for this specific event — scraped vendor lists are common
⚠ The organizer refuses to provide a phone number or official registration confirmation number before you pay

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources