A popular Kent attraction featuring a historic castle and gardens has been forced to distance itself from a scam involving a fake event that attempted to defraud stallholders out of £50.
A notice circulating on Facebook groups falsely advertised a two-day “Spring Fayre” at Walmer Castle and Gardens in Deal.
It claimed the event would host 40 stalls both indoors and outdoors and would take place on May 17 and 18.
The post invited stallholders selling everything from handmade crafts to food to sign up, promising them an opportunity to "maximise profit".
A notice circulating on Facebook groups falsely advertised a two-day 'Spring Fayre' at Walmer Castle and Gardens in Deal
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However, it provided no phone number or email address, instead urging people to privately message the account behind the advert.
English Heritage, which manages the Tudor-era Walmer Castle, confirmed it was not connected.
"There is no spring fair at Walmer Castle in May, nor do we tend to charge stall holders if we do hold such events," it said.
The scam was first spotted by a vigilant administrator of the "What's on Dover and Surrounding Areas" Facebook group, who quickly raised the alarm across local online communities.
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Speaking to KentLive, the admin - who wished to remain anonymous - explained that they had seen similar scams over the past year.
These were often advertising events in unlikely venues, such as pubs or village halls that had no knowledge of the alleged fairs.
The scam posts, the admin noted, tend to use near-identical wording and layouts, and the Walmer Castle advert appears to be just one in a series replicated across the UK.
Other fraudulent events posted by the same account, using the name Sirleem Williamz, have been found promoting other fake spring fayres.
The post provided no phone number or email address, instead urging people to privately message the account behind the advert
These are advertised in places like Mirfield (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire), Hinckley (Leicestershire), Ellesmere, Eccleshall, Thurnscoe, Edmonton (East London), Dulverton, and Shilton.
Many featured the same £50 stall fee and details.
Despite the widespread nature of the scam, Kent Police has said it has not received any reports related to the incidents.
