The Brief
- The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) says food vendors are being asked to participate in fake fan events and festivals.
- The scammers tell truck operators to send ‘vendor’ fees to secure their places at festivals through peer-to-peer payment apps, like CashApp.
- One event organizer tells Contact 6 they’ve been impersonated twice by fraudsters targeting its regular vendors.
MILWAUKEE – Some of the hardest-working people in Milwaukee are in food trucks, working long hours in small spaces. Now, scammers are trying to steal their profits.
Vendors on alert
What we know:
Carlos Orozco of Old Man’s BBQ is a lunchtime staple at 14th and Burnham in Milwaukee. When Orozco isn’t feeding the neighbors, he’s hauling his portable smoker to events.
“I do a lot of festivals; Puerto Rican fest, car shows,” said Orozco. “I’ve been doing this for five years now.”
Orozco says scammers are trying to trick him out of the money he earns working long hours over his grill. He hasn’t fallen for the scams but knows people who have.…