Scam Alert: Bridgeport Carnival Vendor Payment Scam

Bridgeport Residents and Businesses:

Please be aware of a reported fraud scheme involving a person posing as a Bridgeport Carnival event coordinator and seeking payment for a vendor market through an unofficial personal account. While in years past the Borough has hosted a vendor market at the Carnival, the 2026 Bridgeport Carnival does not have a vendor market nor is the Borough soliciting registration and/or payment for any vendor opportunity at the 2026 Carnival. Any solicitation of payment for a Bridgeport Carnival vendor registration is most likely fraudulent. 

Please watch out for the following red flags when soliciting payments:

• Requests for payment through Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, wire transfer, gift cards, or other peer-to-peer payment methods.
• Comments on Borough posts from non-Borough accounts, soliciting registration and/or payment.
• Messages from personal email accounts, not from the Borough's @bridgeportborough.org domain.
• Instructions to pay a personal name or account that does not clearly match the Borough's information.
• Pressure to pay quickly in order to “hold” a vendor space before you can verify the request.

Follow these steps to help protect yourself:

• Verify vendor and payment instructions directly through official Borough channels before sending money.
• Do not click suspicious links, scan unknown QR codes, or provide personal or financial information.
• Save emails, screenshots, sender addresses, payment handles, phone numbers, and any related messages.
• Report fraud in progress or any immediate threat to 911. For non-emergency reporting, contact the Bridgeport Police Department at 610-272-5660. If you sent money, contact your bank or payment app immediately and request a fraud review. You may also file an online complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

For questions, please contact Borough Hall at 610-272-1811

Thank you for your attention to this matter.