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“Advocacy works!” said Tommy Goodwin, FASAE, CAE, PMP, CMP, vice president of the Alliance for Exhibitions and Conventions, who is excited about the FTC’s finalized anti-impersonation fraud rule and the many businesses advocating for it. Industry groups expressed their appreciation.
For decades, conference organizers have been cracking down on scammers who use event logos without permission to sell attendee lists or provide accommodations to appear authorized. New trade regulation rules on impersonating governments and businesses will sharpen the Federal Trade Commission’s efforts to combat these abuses, allowing it to file lawsuits directly in federal court aimed at forcing scammers who impersonate businesses or government agencies to return money they steal from businesses or government agencies. Money earned by government agencies. Scam.
The rule, finalized on February 15, sets out three types of fraudulent conduct that could trigger legal action:
• Unauthorized use of commercial trademarks when communicating with consumers via email or online
• Creating deceptive commercial emails and URLs, including using lookalike email addresses or websites that rely on misspellings of the organization’s name
• Use terms known to be associated with the business to falsely imply an association with the business.
“Scammers targeting the business-events industry unfairly harm the small businesses, entrepreneurs, exhibitors, and nonprofit organizations that we work tirelessly to support,” said Marsha Flanagan, CEM, president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events and ECA co- President. “That’s why our industry was front and center in advocating for this important new rule, and we commend the FTC for finalizing it in a unanimous vote.”
The IAEE is a member of the ECA, a coalition formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote the interests of the in-person events industry and advocate for the new rules. ECA’s other member organizations include the Professional Convention Management Association, Association of Experiential Designers and Producers, Association of Independent Exhibition Organizers, Exhibition Services and Contractors Association, Trade Show Labor Alliance, Venue Managers International and UFI (Universal Association of the Exhibition Industry) .
In a press release regarding the adoption of the new FTC rule, ECA also noted the advocacy efforts of the Consumer Technology Association, the American Society of Association Executives and the IAEE, the nation’s leading trade show organizer groups. It noted that 235 organizations signed a letter of support for the rule, which helped highlight the issue in Congress during ECA’s 2023 Legislative Action Day in June.
The anti-impersonation rule will take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The release date is unclear.
The rule is unlikely to end Skirmish ended Fraudulent use of conference names, logos, and mailing lists, but as the FTC stated in a blog post, “This type of government and corporate impersonation has always been a violation of the FTC Act, but now with rules in place, the FTC can seek consumer restitution and civil penalties, a powerful tool to hit scammers where it counts: in your wallet. “
In addition to finalizing the government and business impersonation rule, the FTC also issued a “Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” that would expand the rule to cover personal impersonation. The agency is currently seeking public comment on a supplemental notice that focuses on emerging technologies “including artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes, [which threaten] To exacerbate this scourge, the FTC is committed to using all of its tools to detect, deter, and stop counterfeit fraud. “
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