This is so despicable: Fake Boston bridal show signs up thousands. What makes it even more despicable than just scamming brides-to-be and vendors out of an estimated $50k for a show that was never intended to actually happen is that the organizer promoted it as also donating a portion of the proceeds to Haiti relief efforts. Just made me sick to my stomach to read this one with my morning coffee.
I don't know how attendees and vendors can guard against getting scammed in something like this. According to the article, the Web site looked legit. Have we come to a place where you have to actually call the venue to make sure that a show is actually booked? I'm not sure how else people could have caught on to this before plunking down their money (a quick Google search found this advice, but I don't think it would have warned anyone off the phony bridal show in Boston). I know this has happened before, mostly with international scientific congresses. What can we do to stop it, other than find the scum who do it and prosecute the living daylights out of them?