DETROIT – The Better Business Bureau is investigating a boat party with tacos and alcohol that might just be an elaborate scam.
One Metro Detroit woman and her friend saw an advertisement on Facebook for a boat trip costing $60, and including beer, wine and tacos.
"I personally thought it was really cool," she said. "We all hit 'interested' or 'going' and it just kept popping up over and over again."
They put the word out and got several friends to agree to go. One person bought all the tickets, spending more than $700 for the group.
The $60 tickets included three tacos, an open bar and a cruise on the Detroit River for four hours. A few weeks later, the group of friends started worrying that the party was just a scam.
"When someone commented, 'Is this legit?' it popped a light bulb in my head to look further into it," one friend said.
They started to contact the taco restaurants and the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority, which were apparently part of the company.
"I called all four of these restaurants and nobody had a clue about this event," one friend said.
"There was no ship name on the Facebook event because they didn't have one," one friend said.
Last year, a series of similar events promoted in Chicago led to an investigation by the attorney general.
"When you're talking about red flags, this is one of them," said Melanie Dequesnal, of the BBB.
Partygoers are now requesting refunds, but it's not that simple because the promoters have been working with a third-party ticket agent. The ticket agent is investigating and working with people affected by the possible scam.