A large inflatable Santa Claus adorns a front yard near Healdsburg, Calif., on Dec. 25, 2013.

A simple yet far-reaching scam has found its way into a quiet North Bay community, targeting small-business owners and makers with a fake Christmas craft market that looks legitimate but in fact doesn’t exist.

Scammers created what looks like a professional flyer advertising a “Joyful Christmas Crafts Market,” complete with dates, times and the location of an actual parking lot in downtown Healdsburg, prompting prospective vendors to email for more information. According to the Press Democrat, which first reported on the story, the realistic presentation fooled at least one local out of $140.

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Drew Magary |

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