I never thought I’d have to write a post like this, but here we are. Scammers on Facebook Marketplace have targeted Prohibition PR, and they’re using our name—and the names of other reputable Leeds-based agencies like this one here Trio Media—to defraud people out of their money. It is going to happen again.
How the Scam Works
These fraudsters are posing as employees from creative agencies, so far in the North, to sell high-value items—mainly expensive digital cameras – they are usually from the brand Cannon.
They send fake invoices with stolen branding, use fake contact details, and once they receive payment, they vanish.
The worst part? They’re exploiting the trust and reputation of legitimate businesses like ours to do it.
We’ve seen multiple fake identities being used, including names like Marcus Donovan and Dan Twine—but let me be clear: these people do not, and have never, worked for Prohibition PR or any of the agencies they claim to represent.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just frustrating—it’s damaging. It’s harming innocent buyers who think they’re making a genuine purchase, and it’s tarnishing the reputations of agencies that have worked hard to build trust with clients and the wider business community.
So to help we’ve reported this to Action Fraud, but the reality is, these scams can be difficult to track. That’s why we need to spread the word and make sure as many people as possible know about it.
How to Protect Yourself
If you’re buying something on Facebook Marketplace—or any online platform—please take extra precautions:
✔️ Verify the seller – If someone claims to work for a business, check their official website or LinkedIn profile. A quick phone call to the company can confirm whether they’re legitimate.
✔️ Be sceptical of deals that seem too good to be true – If a high-value item is being sold at a suspiciously low price, that’s a red flag.
✔️ Check email addresses carefully – Scammers often use email addresses that look similar to real ones but will bounce when you try to reply.
✔️ Report suspicious activity – If you’ve been affected, please report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. The more reports they receive, the better chance we have of stopping these scammers.
The Creative Industry Needs to Stay Vigilant
This is now at least two Yorkshire agencies that we know of being targeted, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more. Clearly, scammers see the creative sector as an easy target.
So, I’m asking for help from the wider marketing and business community—let’s spread awareness, support each other, and make it harder for fraudsters to operate.
If you’ve seen similar scams or been affected, drop a comment below or get in touch. Let’s get the word out and stop this before more people lose out.
Stay vigilant,
Chris
Chris Norton is the founder of Prohibition and an award winning communications consultant with more than twenty years’ experience. He was a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and has had a varied PR career having worked both in-house and in a number of large consultancies. He is an Integrated PR and social media blogger and writes on a wide variety of blogs across a huge amount of topics from digital marketing, social media marketing right through to technology and crisis management.
