Skip to main content

Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Scam Alert: Festival Fakery

Looking for a fun festival this summer? The Better Business Bureau reports that scammers are seeking to cash in on your entertainment dollars with phony tickets—and even fake events.


How It Works

You see a fantastic deal on tickets to a summer festival in your area, usually through a link on social media. The social media link takes you to a professional website with amazing promises and fantastic pictures. Everything looks great so it’s time to purchase. But before you buy, do a little research. 


How to Spot a Fake Festival

Check the name. Search online for the festival’s name and ensure the name advertised matches the website. Scammers often use names that sound similar to those of real festivals.

Check for (working) contact information. Be sure the festival website has a real phone number and email address.  

   Watch out for prices that sound too good to be true. If the prices are much lower than elsewhere, it’s likely a scam.


What Can You Do?

Pay with a credit card. 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, Facebook Marketplace, and other free online listings. Scammers are skilled at providing realistic tickets and fake receipts. Check out third-party ticket sites at BBB.org before making purchases.


For more information, see BBB.org/article/scams/20661-big-festivals-and-seasonal-events-fabulous-fizzled-or-fake.

In-Print, Community July 2022
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

Upcoming Events Near You
Follow Us On Facebook