Booze cruise scam targeting people in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Scammers may be targeting those eager to have fun this Halloween.

People have contacted to Action News Jax claiming an event promoting a haunted booze cruise on Facebook is a scam.

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It’s advertising an all you can drink cruise for $70. According to the Facebook event, it’s being put on by NightMare Cruises.

Ashley Stubbs said she saw the event and bought the tickets.

“I thought this is for sure legit this going to be fun,” said Stubbs.

But when she got the tickets, she noticed the address was different than what was initially announced.

The first address given was The Marina at Ortega Landing and then Jaxport but both places say they have nothing to do with the cruise.

The general manager of the marina tells us they were also targeted last year around the time they were planning their own private Halloween party for their members. The GM believes the scammers are using a bot to scan Facebook for events to target.

She’s now speaking out to warn others.

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“My biggest worry right now is they’re going to have a whole ton of people either at the port authority or at the marina on October 26 and there’s going to be nothing going on,” said Stubbs.

Action News Jax tried to contact the event but the number listed is for a legitimate events company in Chicago that tells us they’ve gotten 25 calls over three days about the alleged scam.

Stubbs is urging others to take the extra step of calling the company, or in this case the marina, before you purchase any tickets.

Also look out for what appear to be stock photos on the Facebook event. If they appear like photos from any party or cruise that should be a red flag.

Cox Media Group