Pumpkinfest 2021. Photo by Claire McCormack
The organizing committee for a Port Elgin fall favourite is scrambling to warn its vendors after an apparent scam from an impersonation email.
Pumpkinfest Coordinator Joanne Robbins is letting everyone know that there have been fraudulent emails being sent out asking vendors to pay for their space at this year’s festival.
The problem with that, Robbins said, is that their vendor spaces were fully booked as of May, and they did not send that email.
Robbins forwarded the fraudulent email to Bayshore News, and said that it is convincing, despite not being from Pumpkinfest’s coordinators.
“It’s a fraudulent email, that looks like it’s from us,” she said. “The letter is lovely, trying to sell marketplace booths to people… Our marketplace is full.”
Robbins added that although it’s the first time someone has used Pumpkinfest to try and swindle prospective vendors out of their money, other festivals have reached out to say that something similar has happened with their events.
The email address used to send the fraudulent request for booking fees looks legitimate, and surprisingly close to the the official Pumpkinfest email.
Since first being made aware of the scam on Friday morning, Robbins immediately alerted her Pumpkinfest colleagues, and has been busy phoning and emailing this year’s confirmed vendors to put their minds at ease.
She has spoken with the coordinators of Kempenfest, after members from that festival told her that they had a similar issue in the past. For that festival, organizers felt bad for the people who had been scammed out of registration money, and Kempenfest had found space so those vendors could benefit from having a space.
“We book early… early in April and May, so there are no booths left right now,” said Robbins. “What we (Pumpkinfest organizers) have already talked about already since this happened is a second authentication.”
Robbins said that moving forward, this would mean that anyone looking for a vendor booth through official Pumpkinfest channels would then receive a phone call directly from them to confirm that bookings have been received.
Port Elgin Pumpkinfest will take place October 3-4, 2026.