An email scam is targeting farmers’ market vendors in the Okanagan.

Multiple vendors have recently been tricked into sending deposits to someone posing as an official for the Kelowna Farmers’ Market, according to executive director Frances Callaghan.

“Someone was trying to scam as they pay for the whole month of October, but our applications were already done for the whole season back in April,” she said.

She said some, specifically vendors who haven’t already been setting up at the market this year, fell victim to the scheme and sent cash to the account. She began learning about the scam when some vendors reached out to ask about their booking after they paid, only to find out they were never in contact with the Kelowna Farmers’ Market at all.

According to Callaghan, Kelowna isn’t alone. She said there are markets in the Lower Mainland and Alberta who have seen similar schemes, while Peach Fest warned vendors of a booking scam earlier this summer.

The Penticton festival saw a handful of prospective vendors duped and the organization later warned the public, said Marta Begemann, who works with Peach Fest. She said the emails appeared professional and looked exactly like those from the festival.

They were reported to Penticton RCMP, but she wasn’t aware of any updates in that investigation.

Callaghan said the scheme is done through email and is made to appear like an offer to book a vendor spot at the market. It’s not clear how many people have paid nor how much money has been lost among the prospective vendors, but Callaghan suggested some of the small vendors might have made payments of up to $500.

“I think a lot of people are embarrassed to bring it up,” she said.

That may explain why Kelowna RCMP is not investigating the scheme. Spokesperson Cpl. Steven Lang said the detachment is aware of news coverage, but no reports have been made to RCMP so far.