Birthday Party Scam
A number of businesses in the community have received an email inquiry about hosting a Birthday Party at their establishment. This scam works by the scammer pretending to book a venue for a party and asking if the business accepts credit cards. If you accept their credit card to hold down a deposit (for example), they will make fraudulent payment and then cancel, asking you to return the "overpayment". Scammers use techniques like phishing and spoofing to steal your financial information or personal data, which they can then use for identity theft or to make purchases.

How the Scam Works

1. The Initial Inquiry:
A person contacts your venue via email, requesting to secure it for a private party.

2. The Credit Card Question:
They ask if your business accepts credit cards, often claiming they need to process a payment or will be sending you a payment.

3. Information Stealing:

Directly Asking: The scammer may ask you to provide credit card details, account numbers, or other personal information directly.
Phishing Link: They might send a link to a website that looks legitimate but is a fake (spoofed) site designed to steal your login credentials or financial data.
Fake Payment: They could send a fake check or fraudulent payment for more than the cost, asking you to wire back the difference, which is actually your own money being sent to the scammer.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Verify the Sender:
Check the sender's email address and contact them using a phone number or website address you know is real and not the one provided in the suspicious email.

2. Don't Click Suspicious Links:
Never automatically click links in unexpected emails or messages.

3. Be Wary of Urgency:
Scammers often pressure you to act quickly or tell you there's a limited time to respond.

4. Contact the Company Directly:
If you receive an email asking for personal information, go directly to the company's actual website or call their known customer service number to confirm the request is legitimate.

5. Be Skeptical of Overpayments:
Be suspicious if someone sends you a payment that is more than what was agreed upon and asks you to return the difference.

6. Use Security Software:
Install security software on your computer and mobile devices, and enable multi-factor authentication to add extra layers of protection.

7. Report the Scam:
Report the phishing email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org and use the ReportFraud.ftc.gov to report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

This is just one of the many ongoing scams. Unfortunately, there are too many to list but since a number of members and the chamber received this same inquiry, we thought it important to share. Stay safe!