VarigB707 From United States of America, joined May 2006, 1220 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 3769 times:
this isn't the first time that IFPO (or USPRESSCORPS.ORG) sends me one of these applications. Of course, i won't give them any money, for i don't whom they are or what do they want. In any case, my question is. Is it legal to offer press credentials for sale?
Discuss.
Oh, here a scanned pix.
FlyingColours From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2315 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 3762 times:
To be honest I think it looks like a very advanced 419 scam, I'm basing that assumption on the fact that,
1 - it is unsolicited mail
2 - it's offering something "too good to be true"
3 - it seems to be offering a lot of security related stuff
Of course everyone knows that 419s are predominantly from Nigeria and a few other countries, however there are many more which are now originating from western countries too such as Holland, the UK and the US, this could indeed be an attempt at one from the United States.
Phil
FlyingColours
Lifes a train racing towards you, now you can either run away or grab a chair & a beer and watch it come - Phil
AvObserver From United States of America, joined Apr 2002, 2430 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 3739 times:
DEFINITELY a credit card or ID theft scam or BOTH!
ScrubbsYWG From Canada, joined Mar 2007, 1486 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 3707 times:
from what i can gather, you are reading too much into this. to me, it seems this is just an 'offer' for an overpriced generic ID card that is supposed to be 'better'. There is no prominent organization on the web from my quick searches called the US press corps. their website is crap. I can't see where it says it is actually press credentials. i think it is just a card you are supposed to pay 100 for. this will not guarantee you anything. IFPO looks like a joke too.
Of course, on top of a overpriced id card, it could be a scam too.
NoUFO From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 7796 posts, RR: 13 Reply 4, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 3684 times:
It's a scam. Definitely. Even if this ominous organization exists, it would never give press credentials away.
Don't know about the U.S., but in Germany a press pass is a plastic card the size of credit cards. A new card is issued every year with the year printed on it. The color of the card changes every year as wll. So every journalist has to apply for a new pass every year. This is to make fraud as difficult as possible. And they still cost less - without any "discount".
Teo747 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 132 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 3673 times:
Almost certainly a scam, although it's a bit unusual to see ones in which a large quantity of money isn't offered as an incentive for the victim to participate. I've been involved in the past in scambaiting (corresponding with scammers using fake identities to waste their time), and the horrendously amateurish website is a dead giveaway that this is a scam. It would be interesting to e-mail this "Vonda Blackburn" and then see where the IP address of the return e-mail comes from.
Dtw9 From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 1048 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 3663 times:
Appears Vonda's for real
Today's Photographer International
Bimonthly. Publisher: American Image IFPO-IFMO, Inc., 6495 Shallowford Rd., Lewisville, NC 27023 USA; 910-945-9867, Fax 910-945-3711. Editor-in-Chief: Vonda H. Blackburn. Subscriptions: PO Box 777, Lewisville, NC 27023-0777; 910-945-9867.
Teo747 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 132 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 3657 times:
Yeah, just did a little more research into this thing too. What they seem to be doing is just selling people press passes that they could then attempt to use to get media access to events. The consensus seems to be that while it might fool somebody at a small event who is thrilled to have a photographer show up, it would never get anyone access to a major event with anything close to adequate security. Of course, if two uninvited guests can get into the White House and meet the President, then...
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From United States of America, joined May 2006, 1220 posts, 
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