Chamber Fraud Alert
Scam Alert: Fraudulent Emails Impersonating Chamber Staff
We have received several reports from members indicating that they have received fraudulent emails impersonating Chamber staff, including our President & CEO, requesting assistance with vendor payments. These emails typically ask the recipient to make a payment on the Chamber’s behalf using Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or ACH, with a promise of reimbursement by check.
This is a common scam and is not legitimate.
Chamber staff will never ask members to make payments on our behalf to third-party vendors or request this type of payment assistance via email.
We would like to remind members to be cautious and always be on the lookout for possible scams and frauds. Online fraud is on the rise and businesses continue to be a target of thieves and scammers. Often fraudsters try to impersonate trusted institutions, like your bank/credit union, government agencies, or trusted non-profits in the community like the chamber of commerce.
Tips to protect yourself:
- Check the actual sender email address, not just the display name
- Be suspicious of urgent payment requests to vendors
- When in doubt, always contact the Chamber directly by phone to confirm any emails or solicitations you receive
For more information, read our Fraud Prevention article.