SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah State Fair says they have been made aware of a possible scam targeting current and prospective vendors and is asking businesses to be vigilant. The Fair says scammers are calling or emailing businesses using fake email addresses and offering them last-minute vendor or concession space. The individuals then ask for payment. Those communications are not from the officials with the state fair. Organizers say they will always contact vendors through official Fair staff, and they will never use Gmail to conduct business or request payment. The scammers are also using email addresses to appear to be affiliated with the Fair. One example of a fraudulent address is “[email protected].” Note the extra “r” in “fairr.”
The Fair warns against making payments when contacted by an outside source. When in doubt, organizers are asking vendors to always contact them directly to verify before making any payments.
The Utah State Fair hosts hundreds of vendors every year, including a mix of commercial exhibits and food concessionaires. This year, the Fair is celebrating 170 years of bringing Utah together through agriculture, community, creativity, entertainment, and Fair fun…