SAN ANTONIO – The countdown to Fiesta is underway. Oyster Bake kicks off on April 15, but not everything is going according to plan.
Organizers said someone is selling fake volunteer wristbands.
"We have had a couple of issues with some counterfeit tickets in the past, (but) not with the volunteer wristbands that we have this year," said Steve Rosenauer, the executive director of Oyster Bake.
Rosenauer said scammers are trying to cash in at the students' expense.
"The fact that somebody would go to the length of counterfeiting wristbands that would ultimately take money out of (the) students' pockets for their scholarships and their education is really disheartening," Rosenauer said.
Oyster Bake has raised nearly $11 million in student scholarships and alumni programs during its 100-year history at St. Mary's University.
"Scholarships help students like me get in here to try and achieve our dreams," said Andrea Salinas, a freshman at St. Mary's University.
The Bexar County Sheriff's office is investigating the case. Rosenauer said Oyster Bake officials will also do their part inspecting wristbands at the festival's gates.
"The look is similar, but the material on the paper is different, so that's one way we're able to tell," Rosenauer said. "Theres also some water marks that we have on the originals, the real wristbands, that don't seem to be included on the fake or counterfeit wristbands."
Oyster Bake will take place on the first weekend of Fiesta on April 15 and 16.