FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A man attending a summer fair entered a contest to win a free trip to the Bahamas, but instead, he received unauthorized charges on his credit card.

According to an alert sent out by the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana, the contest was being conducted by Paradise Resorts out of St Petersburg, FL. The man was told that he was the winner of a free trip and was only responsible for paying taxes and for a passport. They then asked for his credit card number as proof of him being over 21. He was then later informed that he was purchasing a package in the amount of $198. He never authorized this and is fighting to have the charges removed.

He had assumed that all fair vendors would have been vetted by the fair staff before allowing them participation, however, officials with the BBB say this is often a common misconception. Fair staffers organize events, but they do not typically perform background checks on businesses that set up booths. This responsibility falls on the consumer, as it does with any purchase or business transaction.

To check out a company, go to www.bbb.org or call 800-552-4631.