Clever Toronto scammers are preying on unsuspecting CNE visitors

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is finally back and attracting throngs of visitors, but like just about every major event where people spend their hard-earned dollars, scammers are swooping in to siphon money away from guests rediscovering the long-missed Toronto summer tradition.

Among this year's targets, scammers are roaming private paid parking lots collecting payment from unsuspecting motorists and even issuing fraudulent parking passes for display on the dash.

The fake parking attendants play the part with high-visibility vests, directing victims to parking spots they have literally zero authority over.

Scammers then make off with the money, and cars with bogus passes are then ticketed or towed, adding another level of headache for victims of this criminal scheme.

Reports indicate the scam is occurring in the unofficial paid parking areas at the southwest edge of the Liberty Village neighbourhood, including a lot outside of the Carpet Factory building.

These third-party-owned lots often experience heavy demand during the CNE and other events held on the Exhibition Grounds across the tracks to the south.

An unnamed CNE representative confirmed to blogTO that "the lots north of the Dufferin Gate are not part of the CNE and not part of the grounds."

The employee stresses that "The public should know there is no affiliation with the grounds whatsoever," adding that "sometimes it's better to pay a premium price for the customer's safety and satisfaction."

This is just the latest parking-related scam targeting Toronto drivers, coming just days after the Toronto Police Service issued a warning cautioning of fraudulent text messages claiming that the recipient had a fine pending for a speeding infraction with a scam link to collect payment from victims.