Solon business owners who got an email inviting them to sell at the Solon Hometown Holiday Market should not pay the booth fee. Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows, the market’s legitimate organizer, says the message did not come from its team. The email arrived Monday, Oct. 19, and went to nearly 100 local businesses, offices and organizations. NEOhio.news, which also publishes Solon Ohio News, was among the recipients. The message was signed “Solon Hometown Holiday Market Team” and asked vendors to sign up through a Tally form. Booth fees listed in the email ranged from $125 to $150. Organizer Responds NEOhio.news forwarded the email to Becki Silverstein of Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows. Avant-Garde organizes the holiday market with the City of Solon. Her reply was brief. “No this is not from us!!” she wrote. Silverstein also wants vendors to know that Avant-Garde is a legitimate company. Someone sent this email using the market’s name without permission. She said all official emails from Avant-Garde come from becki@ag-shows.com. City of Solon Confirms Its Contact Tracy Sullivan with the City of Solon also reached out to NEOhio.news. She confirmed that her email address, tsullivan@solonohio.org, is a legitimate contact for the market. The Real Market Is Still Happening The real Solon Hometown Holiday Market is not canceled. Event listings show it scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Solon Recreation Center on Portz Parkway. Admission is free. The market features local artists and crafters selling handmade items. Businesses interested in a booth should apply through the vendor portal at avantgardeshows.com. Any email about the market that does not come from becki@ag-shows.com did not come from the organizer. How to Protect Your Business Vendor scams often copy the name of a real event to look trustworthy. A few simple steps can help you avoid losing money. Do not pay through a link in an unexpected email. Make sure any email about the market comes from becki@ag-shows.com or tsullivan@solonohio.org. Go directly to avantgardeshows.com to apply as a vendor. Call your bank or card company right away if you already paid. Report suspected scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515. Frequently Asked Questions Is the Solon Hometown Holiday Market vendor email real? No. Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows, the market’s organizer, confirmed the vendor email sent to local businesses on Oct. 19 did not come from its team. Is Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows a legitimate company? Yes. Avant-Garde is the real organizer of the Solon Hometown Holiday Market and runs it with the City of Solon. The fake email used the market’s name without its permission. How can I tell if a Solon Hometown Holiday Market email is real? Legitimate emails come from becki@ag-shows.com at Avant-Garde or tsullivan@solonohio.org at the City of Solon. An email from any other address did not come from the organizers. Is the Solon Hometown Holiday Market canceled? No. Event listings show the market scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Solon Recreation Center. What should I do if I paid a booth fee through the fake email? Contact your bank or credit card company as soon as possible. You can also file a report with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515.