Police in York Region say someone is selling people phony tickets for non-existent hot air balloon rides in Markham.
Investigators report that “numerous” victims have recently contacted them after purchasing what they believed to be tickets for a hot air balloon ride from a company called “The Candle Experience 2025.”
Police say on July 4, a person responded to an ad on social media and paid $45 online to secure a July 5 reservation.
“When the victim attended a park in the area of 14th Avenue and Donald Cousens Parkway in the City of Markham for the scheduled ride, they were met by a large number of people who also showed up for a hot air balloon ride,” York Regional Police said in a news release.
“It was soon discovered the victims had fallen victim to a scam as there were no hot air balloons or staff from ‘The Candle Experience’ present at the park.”
A similar incident occurred on July 12, police said, when several people and vehicles arrived at the same park expecting a hot air balloon ride.
To avoid becoming a victim of this kind of crime, police are urging people to look up customer reviews on multiple platforms, obtain a physical address and contact information for the company to help verify their authenticity, and be wary of deals that seem too good to be true.
Police noted that hot air balloon rides usually cost a few hundred dollars.
“Confirm your booking by calling or emailing the operator directly. A reputable company will respond to your query promptly,” they said.
This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to call the #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7541, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
