Highlands booster club warns of online scam
NATRONA HEIGHTS, Pa. (KDKA) — Scammers just hit the Highlands varsity marching band boosters club.
People have reported getting fraudulent emails asking for money for its craft and vendor show next month. The band boosters want people to know they do not do business online ever.
Boosters vice president Desirae Dunmire said someone is running an online scam in an attempt to steal the group's proceeds from the upcoming event.
"They were reaching the people through email," Dunmire said.
Dunmire said within minutes of a flyer being posted on social media for the March 16 event, people began receiving fraudulent emails.
"They were putting a Google form on there for people to pay through PayPal, which we do not do," Dunmire said.
She said the email asked interested vendors to pay the table fee of $25, in addition to $20 for electricity and $50 for an early-bird time. Food vendors were asked to pay $160.
Dunmire said none of that is accurate. She said the boosters do require a fee for vendor tables and food trucks, just not that high of an amount.
"We do a paper contract," Dunmire said. "It gets mailed to my house. We do not do any electronic payments."
A complaint was filed with the Harrison Township Police Department, which is currently investigating. Dunmire says the police have no way of knowing just how many people fell victim to this scam, so she wants to get the word out so there aren't more victims.
KDKA-TV reached out to Harrison police for an update, but the chief was not available.