URGENT: Please Check Who Is Really Emailing You About Events

There may not be one obvious warning sign, so look at the whole picture.

Check the actual email address

Do not rely on the sender name displayed in your inbox.

Compare the full email address with the organiser’s official website, established social media page or previous genuine correspondence.

A Gmail address is not automatically suspicious. Many genuine market and event organisers use Gmail.

The important question is whether it is the same address the genuine organiser normally uses.

If you have dealt with an organiser for years and a different email address suddenly appears, check with them using the contact details you already know.

Check new Facebook pages carefully

If you come across a new Facebook page advertising trader spaces, have a look at the page before applying.

Check how long it appears to have been active, what else it has posted, how many followers it has, who is interacting with it and whether its contact details match the genuine organiser.

A new page or a small following does not automatically mean it is fraudulent, but it is a reason to check further.

And do not rely on follower numbers alone. A convincing-looking page can still be fake.

Check with the venue

If an event is being held at a hotel, community centre or other established venue, contacting the venue directly can be another useful check.

Find the venue’s official contact details yourself rather than using the telephone number or email address contained in the message you are checking.

But remember, even if the venue confirms that the event is genuine, you still need to check that the person contacting you is the genuine organiser.

Check where the application link came from

Google Forms, Tally and other online forms are used by many genuine organisers.

The fact that an application uses one of these services does not make it suspicious by itself.

Instead, check where you got the link.

Was it published by the genuine organiser? Did it come from their known email address? Can you independently confirm it through their website or established social media page?

If the only place you can find the application is in an unexpected email, check before entering your details.

Be extra careful when money is requested

If you are suddenly asked to pay using different bank details, a personal transfer, an unfamiliar Revolut account or another payment method you were not expecting, stop and check first.

Do not allow messages such as “spaces are limited”, “payment is required today” or “your place will be offered to someone else” to rush you.

Genuine organisers may have deadlines and limited spaces, but you should still verify who you are paying.

If anything about the payment process is different from what you normally expect, contact the organiser independently before sending money.

Small differences matter

Sometimes the warning sign is tiny.

It could be:

• a slightly different spelling
• an extra word in an email address
• a Gmail address made to resemble an official organisation
• different payment details
• fees or dates that do not match official information
• a different contact person
• wording that simply does not sound like the organiser you normally deal with

If something feels different, check it.