Over the past couple of months, our team at Impact, has noticed several scam emails filing in from various unknown sources. After doing further research, we noticed this was a trend among many associations and association management companies. These fraudulent emails often came with the request of a money transfer. Keeping money in the correct hands is incredibly important and because of this, we have created a list of tips to help associations keep an eye out for suspicious emails and scams.
Look at the email address of the sender. If the email is unfamiliar or appears odd, this should be your first red flag.
Pay close attention to messages during times where money is already being transferred. If your association is dealing with an upcoming event, membership renewals, or other busy times, make sure that nothing fishy passes under the radar. This is a prime time for scammers to target associations.
Alert other association members and leaders. Scammers can often use a leader’s name or email to send the request. Talking with the person in charge can clarify whether the email is from them and can spread the word of the issue. This can help to further prevent the problem in future cases.
Keep an eye out for scam emails and follow our tips or it just might come back to haunt you!