Christmas scam attempt leaves hotel staff appalled
Press AssociationA city centre hotel has said it is "appalled" after bogus emails were sent inviting businesses to book stalls at a series of Christmas fairs.
The Assembly House in Norwich warned businesses, artists and independent traders of someone trying to extract money with the false promise of stall space at its fairs on 22 and 29 November.
On social media, a spokesperson said: "We are appalled that someone would use our name in this way and potentially exploit hard-working independent businesses."
Last month, the organisers of the Norwich Global Village Market also said fraudsters had appeared to impersonate them in the same way.
The Assembly House shared a copy of an email which encouraged vendors to apply for a stall via a link.
"Let's make sure nobody loses money or personal information to these scammers," the venue said.
In September, the Norwich Global Village Market said there were similar "scam emails going round". The events are happening at The Forum in December.
Other organisers in England have warned of similar Christmas fair scams, including in Essex and Surrey in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for Trading Standards Norfolk said the digital world had become an "obvious target" for fraudsters.
An advert that did not include a postal address might be a warning sign, a spokesperson explained, or "demands for payment in usual ways, such as via transfer services or purchasing goods and services through GoFundMe sites or similar".
"You can stay safe if you're vigilant," they added.
Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
