HCSO FACEBOOK POSTING:
“The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is investigating instances of individuals attempting to fraudulently rent booth space out to potential victims for a local festival in Clermont.
According to the initial investigation, subjects associated with at least two Facebook accounts have attempted to fraudulently collect money for vendor booth space for the upcoming Clermont Days. Town of Clermont officials, who actually organize the event and rent booth space, notified HCSO after learning about the two attempts to scam individuals.
Investigators with the HCSO Intelligence Unit met with town officials on Wed. Aug. 9. to gather information and begin the investigation, which continues. At present, no one is known to have fallen victim to the current scheme efforts.
According to Intelligence Unit investigators, this type of scam occurs annually, targeting potential vendors for festivals throughout the county.
“Vendors interested in renting booth space at any festival should reach out directly to the organization responsible for the event,” Intelligence Unit Lt. Brett Road said. “In this case, a citizen recognized the solicitation for what it was and reported it to town officials.”’