Tickets have reportedly been sold for an event called the Christmas Festival of Light, scheduled to take place from December 7 to January 7 at King George V Playing Fields in Cosham.
However, Portsmouth City Council says there have been no bookings or event applications for an event on this date – and councillors have now warned people that this is a scam.
Posting on Facebook, cabinet member for climate change and environment Cllr Kimberly Barrett said: ‘I have checked this out with the cabinet member for culture and leisure as well as the city council events team and this is 100 per cent not real.
‘Please do not buy tickets from this site or share personal information. If anyone has paid please contact your banks as soon as possible. The police, council and trading standards are now aware and involved.’
A Facebook user going by the name Cheryl Thompson also attempted to advertise the event with The News.
Cabinet member for culture and leisure, Cllr Steve Pitt, said whoever is behind the scam is a ‘disgraceful person’.
‘It’s disgusting that at the height of a cost of living crisis, somebody would seek to take advantage of families and steal money from them,’ he said.
‘As soon as I became aware of this scam I notified trading standards. I am very sorry for anybody who has lost out, with social media it doesn’t take long for damage to be done by something like this….
