Davenport Police Confirm “Quad City Taco Fest” Is A Scam

Scammers are at it again in the Quad Cities, but this time they are trying to get money from people in a unique,and dare I say, delicious way. The Davenport Police Department has confirmed that the event "Quad City Taco Fest" is fake.

In a social media post on Thursday, the Davenport Police Department said that they, along with the city, have received several inquiries about an unconfirmed event going around Facebook called “Quad City Taco Festival | Davenport." This event, hosted by "Quad Cities Taco Festival" is to be held on September 27, 2020. The event in question says it starts at 12 p.m. and goes through September 28 at 12 a.m. in “Downtown Davenport”.

The Davenport Police say that the Facebook Event says the event will have,

“The Quad Cities’ best TACOS in 1 major event!” and “over 50 tequilas to sample and of course margaritas and Mexican Beer, live Music, and More!”

Before giving you the rest of the press release from the Davenport Police Department, let me just say, this sounds like an AWESOME idea! Maybe when we can all go back outside, we can actually do this?

Anyway...

The Davenport Police said the reached out to the "event organizer" who in turn provided multiple vague locations for the event, one being not a real location at all. Davenport Police said after that, the scammers stopped communicating. The Scott County Health Department also reached out to the "organizer" and was provided a different location than what was given to Davenport Police.

City of Davenport Officials provide permits for these types of events say that they have not received, issued or approved a permit for this festival as of Thursday, July 30. The Scott County Health Department regulate these type of events, and they say they have only received a vague plan and an incomplete application.

Davenport Police say that the Scott County Health Department has been in contact with several of the vendors that are listed as “attending” on the event page, but no vendors say that they have committed to being at the event.

The event also advertises that it will have alcohol, and no license has been issued or applied for through the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division as of July 30.

Since scammers have resorted to fake festivals and events, the Davenport Police Department is reminding people on how to check to make sure an event is real before purchasing a ticket.

How to Spot a Fake Festival or Event

• Always fully research event web sites before purchasing. Make sure there is full disclosure of exact location and contact information. Scammers often use names that sound similar to those of real festivals.
• Check for (working) contact information: Be sure the festival website has a phone number and email address.

What Can You Do?

• If you have doubts, Google the name of the festival with the word “scam” after it to see if others have reported about the event.
• Pay with a credit card: You can dispute the charges if the business doesn't come through. Be wary of online sellers that don’t accept credit cards.
• Look for secure sites: The website should begin with https (the extra “s” is for secure) and have a little lock symbol on the address bar.
• Avoid tickets sold on Craigslist and other free online listings: Scammers are skilled at providing realistic tickets and fake receipts.

Davenport Police say that people can check out third-party ticket sites through the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org before making purchases.