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Scammers target Milwaukee food trucks
Some of the hardest-working people in Milwaukee are in food trucks, working long hours in small spaces. Now, scammers are trying to steal their profits.
MILWAUKEE - Some of the hardest-working people in Milwaukee are in food trucks, working long hours in small spaces. Now, scammers are trying to steal their profits.
Vendors on alert
What we know:
Carlos Orozco of Old Man's BBQ is a lunchtime staple at 14th and Burnham in Milwaukee. When Orozco isn't feeding the neighbors, he's hauling his portable smoker to events.
"I do a lot of festivals; Puerto Rican fest, car shows," said Orozco. "I've been doing this for five years now."
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Orozco says scammers are trying to trick him out of the money he earns working long hours over his grill. He hasn't fallen for the scams but knows people who have.
"They paid like $500 for a site. When they showed up, they weren't on the list," said Orozco.
How it works
Dig deeper:
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) says vendors are being asked to participate in fake fan events and festivals. To secure their spots, they're told to pay vendor fees through peer-to-peer payment apps, like CashApp and Zelle. Once the money is sent, it's impossible to get back.
"In most cases, the event doesn't even exist," said Michelle Reinen, Division of Trade and Consumer Protection administrator.
Reinen says the vendors are getting fake event offers through email and text. It's a problem that could get worse this fall with more opportunity.
"Professional and college campus venues have their debut games coming up," explains Reinen.
Impersonation attempts
What we know:
Ventura Lopez organizes festivals like Dia de los Muertos for In My City 365. She says her organization has been impersonated at least twice by scammers targeting its regular vendors.
"It's happened to us," said Lopez. "It's very disheartening, especially when some of these people are running these trucks two people all day long. They are working very hard for their money."
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Lopez says typically vendor fees can range from $500, on the low-end, to more than $1,500. Orozco says that kind of loss could equal a week, or weeks, of sales.
"A lot of it comes out of (the vendors) pocket," said Orozco.
The takeaway
Big picture view:
DATCP says never click on links or attachments in unsolicited emails. Vendors should investigate and verify events are taking place before sending any money.
The Source: Information for this report comes from DATCP, In My City 365 and food vendors who spoke with Contact 6.