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11/27/2022

Take a Stand Against Impersonation Scams Targeting Associations

Submit your comments by Dec. 16, 2022

The Ohio Society of Association Professionals (OSAP) cares about your association and the critical nature of events produced. Impersonation fraud and various other imposter schemes are widespread, on the rise and impacting many industries, trade shows and events.

Consumer Technology Association (CTA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro recently told Trade Show Executive that a prospective exhibitor for CES 2022, a massive trade show that took place in Las Vegas, fell victim to a scam operator that was using CTA's name to bilk companies out of thousands of dollars.

"This is a broad-scale effort to fight the malicious actors who hurt our events by using our event names or implying they are the event organizer and selling fake services or lists and defrauding our unwitting customers," Shapiro said.

The growing problem of impersonation fraud, which often includes fraudulent email solicitations using company names and logos, has attracted the attention of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has collected extensive data related to different impersonation scams and is seeking comment from the public before finalizing a rulemaking on the issue. The FTC said that, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, COVID-specific scam reports have included 12,491 complaints of government impersonation and 8,794 complaints of business impersonation.

Impersonation scams are a growing problem with increasing frequency and greater levels of sophistication. Our very own OSAP members are victims of these scams, often with significant and unrecoverable financial loss.OSAP, in alliance with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), is raising awareness and encouraging widespread participation by filing comments with the FTC by Dec. 16:

Your association matters. Your action makes a difference. Your voice impacts many. 

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