PECMI Vendor Safety Briefing announcement card: Protecting Ontario's festival and maker community across The Great Canadian Chocolate Affair, The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, Ontario Cheese Festival, and Holly Jolly Market.

Standing Together: Protecting Ontario’s Festival Community & Small Makers

ByRosalind Fuller

Across Ontario, independent makers, bakers, and artisans are being targeted by an unprecedented wave of online impersonation scams. Here is what you need to know, how PECMI is protecting our partners, and how to join our upcoming live safety masterclass.

⚠️ The Threat Landscape: What Ontario Vendors Need to Know

  • Fake Vendor Invitations: Unsolicited emails offering “last-minute booth spots” linking to generic Google Forms or Jotforms.
  • The Fake Deposit Scam: High-pressure demands for $500 refundable security deposits” via Interac e-Transfer to personal @gmail.com accounts.
  •  Database / Attendee List Poachers: Unsolicited sales of fake “2026 PECMI attendee lists” or unauthorized room booking agents.

Our Immediate Standard: The PECMI Zero-Tolerance Rules

✅ What PECMI Will Always Do

  • Official emails only originate from verified @pecmi.ca or @ops.pecmi.ca domains.
  • Official invoices sent only through Intuit QuickBooks Online (PEC MARKETS INC.).
  • Authorized e-Transfers sent only via Autodeposit to info@countymarkets.ca.

❌ What PECMI Will Never Do

  • Never contact or invoice you from @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, or @outlook.com.
  • Never ask for e-Transfers to personal email addresses.
  • Never collect payments or credit card numbers inside Google Forms.

Live Event: Free Vendor Digital Safety Briefing

Title: Guarding Your Craft: Practical Digital Safety for Ontario Market Vendors
When: Sept. 15, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern
Format: Live MS Teams Webinar (Listen & Chat mode + Live Q&A)
Hosts: Patricia McDermott (PECMI) & Kevin Wall (WallDX)
Takeaway: Free 1-Page PDF Safety Checklist + On-Demand Recording

👉 Reserve Your Free Spot Here

The Permanent Fix: The PECMI Private Vendor Portal

While education is the immediate shield, structural security is the permanent fix. PECMI and WallDX are launching a private, authenticated Vendor Portal on November 1, 2026 for our March 2027 festival applications. Moving forward, all vendor communications, approvals, booth contracts, and payments will live securely inside your verified portal account at portal.pecmi.ca.

Received a suspicious email? Report an Imposter →

A professional headshot of Rosalind Fuller, Chief of Staff of Prince Edward County Markets.

Chief of Staff for Prince Edward County Markets Inc., passionate about local artisans and community-driven events.

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