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As the anticipation builds for the International Jewellery Fair in Sydney in August, event organisers are once again warning the industry to be wary of online scammers. | Source: Vista Create
As the anticipation builds for the International Jewellery Fair in Sydney in August, event organisers are once again warning the industry to be wary of online scammers. | Source: Vista Create

Pesky jewellery fair scammers spam inboxes once again

As the anticipation builds for the International Jewellery Fair in Sydney in August, event organisers are once again warning the industry to be wary of online scammers.

Jeweller has previously documented the persistent nuisance of ‘attendee list scammers’ – criminals who attempt to defraud unsuspecting businesses in the lead-up to major trade shows and industry events.

These scammers rely on ‘social engineering’ to succeed – tactics designed to manipulate people into revealing confidential information or purchasing products and services through deception.

Attendee list scammers are a common form of online fraud and are not exclusive to the jewellery industry. Explained simply, scammers will contact businesses claiming to have access to the attendee list of an upcoming trade show, which can be purchased at a typically discounted price.

Expertise Events general manager Zac Fitz-Roy told Jeweller that, under Australian privacy laws, the sale of personal information without permission is illegal.

“This kind of thing happens around all industry trade shows. Generally speaking, event organisers will not sell their list of attendees. It’s a violation of privacy laws and it doesn’t make any commercial sense,” Fitz-Roy explained.

“These scammers even contact us with the same offers, which is always a good laugh. They’re offering to sell us our own list! Our data is incredibly valuable; it’s how we connect the industry and host these events – we keep that information safe and don’t sell it to anyone across any of our events.”

As an example of the tactics used by these scammers, the name, date, and even logo of the event are often used in the email to create a sense of legitimacy, a technique known as ‘social proof’.

Likewise, scammers frequently offer these lists at a temporarily ‘discounted’ price to create a sense of urgency. In a similar manner, some scammers suggest that other exhibitors at the event have already acquired the attendee list, and that without it, the recipient of the email will be at a disadvantage.

For those familiar with the industry, these scam emails are superficial and low-effort; however, in the past, some people have ‘fallen for the trap’ and lost thousands of dollars.

Zac Fitz-Roy, Expertise Events
Zac Fitz-Roy, Expertise Events
"As a general principle, just ignore the emails. Don’t click on anything, don’t communicate with them, delete the email."
Zac Fitz-Roy, Expertise Events

Most of these scam emails originate from accounts associated with inactive websites, which are often ‘parked’ by domain providers such as GoDaddy and NameCheap. Some scammers do not have a website and use free services, such as Gmail, with handles designed to resemble those of events management or digital marketing companies.

Interestingly, Jeweller recently received emails from a scammer that ‘bucked’ the typical low-effort trend and provided links to an active website designed to add legitimacy to the proposal.

An investigation into several interconnected companies seemingly responsible for this scam will be documented in a later report.

These scam emails are typically low-effort, poorly worded, and contain various factual inaccuracies about the event. In the past, those who have purchased attendee lists have discovered that the supposed database of buyers contains only surface-level information scraped from the internet about random businesses.

Others are not provided with any information and are blocked and/or ignored by the scammers after making the purchase.

As mentioned, the International Jewellery Fair is one of many events targeted by these fraudsters. In recent weeks, Jeweller has also received several emails providing the opportunity to purchase the attendee list for the Australian Opal Exhibition (5-7 August).

One email claimed that a database of 7,487 registered attendees was available, while another offered the personal information for 1,016 buyers. 

Similar inconsistencies were documented in emails surrounding the Australian Jewellery Fair earlier this year. One scammer offered a database featuring the contact information of ‘5,132 industry professionals’ while another suggested that just 500 buyers would be attending.

Fitz-Roy advised that anyone receiving these emails should block the sender and avoid all contact with the scammer.

“As a general principle, just ignore the emails. Don’t click on anything, don’t communicate with them, delete the email,” he said.

“Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you have any questions about the Sydney Fair, call or email Expertise Events, and we’ll be able to help you.”

 Interestingly, many of these emails casually encourage the recipient to ‘opt out’ if they do not wish to be contacted again.

This seemingly reasonable offer is another example of social engineering. By replying to the scammer, the recipient confirms that the email address is accurate and functioning, which increases the likelihood that the account will be targeted with other scams in the future.

With that in mind, while it may be tempting to ‘opt out’ of these emails, or even hit the scammer with a ‘serve’ in return, the advice is to block and ignore the sender.

More reading
Don’t be fooled: Jewellery fair scammers back in action
Jewellery fair scammers back in business
US tech giant GoDaddy silent amid jewellery scammers controversy
Warning letter issued over Jewellery Fair scam
 

 











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