TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa International Balloon Festival hosted at Zoo Tampa. It sounds like a fun family event, but the problem is, it's fake.
A recent image for just such an event was created and posted online and prompted Zoo Tampa to let people know it's fake. The Better Business Bureau also sounded off on the proposal saying people should always do their research before buying through a social media ad.
“Check out the comments and see what people are saying about it. Google the event. Add the word scam or complaint. Try to contact the event. Is there a phone number? Contact information? Give them a call. See where that leads you," said Bryan Oglesby with the Better Business Bureau serving west Florida.
The balloon festival page event showed that nearly 600 people are going. Zoo officials said they once again contacted the police when they found out about the post. But ultimately, they said there’s not much they can do other than post this warning on social media.
Zoo officials said they have had people show up for non-existent events in the past.
“We hear about all different types of events. Everything from sporting events to concerts. We’ve heard complaints about trucking events where the event did not occur. So we get them all over the spectrum," said Oglesby.
The Better Business Bureau also said the end game with posts like these is often to steal your money or your identity. Be especially wary if they are asking for payment through alternative methods like Zelle or gift cards.
The zoo said they always list any official events on their Facebook page or website.
