Warning: Fake Emails for real Christmas Fairs Target Small Businesses

Within the last 24 hours, we reported on a Food Festival vendor scam affecting North Yorkshire. We shared it because the potential reach was clear. These scams do not just target one event or one town. They can move quickly through the small business, food, craft

and maker community, especially when traders are looking for seasonal opportunities.

A second warning has been issued, this time from Norfolk Council, after fake emails began circulating to small businesses and crafters. The emails claim to come from organisers of upcoming Christmas fairs and offer spaces at events.

Seasonal fairs are busy booking periods for makers and small traders.

What the latest warning involves

The warning from Norfolk Council follows reports of fake emails claiming to offer stand space at Christmas fairs. The emails appear to use the names of real events to make the offer look believable.

This includes concerns linked to Norwich Global Village Market in November and Festive Fair in December, where emails have reportedly been sent claiming to represent those annual pop-up markets and attempting to sell space.

A common detail in the reports is the wording. The emails have been sent from a personal-style email address and carry the subject line `Event Vendor Invitation`, followed by the name of the genuine event. They also repeatedly use the terms “vendor” or “vendors” throughout.

That wording may sound normal in some countries, but it can stand out in the UK events world, where organisers are more likely to talk about stallholders, traders, exhibitors or stand space.

None of these signs prove an email is fake on its own. Together, they should make any business pause before sending money.

Why this scam is so convincing

Christmas fairs, food festivals and makers’ markets often book up quickly. That creates the perfect conditions for scammers.

A small business might be keen to secure a good pitch before spaces go. A crafter might not want to miss a busy November or December event. A food trader may be juggling several bookings and invoices at once. In that rush, a message that includes a genuine event name can look like a normal opportunity.

The danger is not only the loss of a booking fee. It can also mean turning up to an event where no space exists, missing out on a real trading opportunity, and losing stock, travel time and confidence.

A convincing email can still be fake if the sender cannot be verified.

If you are booking stand space at any event, do your homework first. Make sure the person selling the space is a genuine organiser before parting with any money.

How to check if an event booking is genuine

Call the venue first.

Do not use the phone number in the suspicious email. Search for the venue independently, use its official website or a trusted directory, and ask whether the event is taking place. Then ask who the genuine organiser is and how stall bookings are managed.