Scam: Hotel Pirates & Attendee Lists

Housing Pirates & Attendee List Purveyors

You may have seen the recent, final rule from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allowing it to take hotel and attendee list purveyor scammers to court. Having the backing of the FTC is an important win for the trade show industry against scammers. But, read on for important tips from INDA to help you avoid a scam!

INDA Events

INDA values your participation at all our events and want to ensure that your experience is smooth and trouble-free.

Housing Pirates

INDA is aware of an issue that has affected our attendees and exhibitors. There is an outside organization, commonly referred to as a “housing pirate,” that contacts attendees and exhibitors regarding hotel accommodations for our events.

These housing pirates will solicit exhibitors and attendees to book hotel accommodations through them at inflated rates or with hidden fees.

Here’s a list of known fraudulent hotel booking companies to avoid:

Scams

Please do not fall for these scams! The hotel pirates will offer special deals and promotions if you book through them. But, if you do make your hotel reservations through them, they will take your money, cancel the hotel room (without you knowing it), and when you arrived to check in at your hotel you wouldn’t have a hotel room. Plus, you will lose your money.

Fraud

If you have received fraudulent emails or phone calls offering to sell attendee lists, book hotel rooms, or promote other unauthorized products or services, we strongly encourage you to file a report.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides a streamlined process for individuals and organizations to report these scams. Submitted reports are shared with law enforcement partners to support investigations and help stop these fraudulent practices.

How to File a Fraud Report:

Visit the FTC’s reporting site: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Click “Report Now”

For Question 1: “Is your report about any of these common problems?”

Select “An Impersonator” (top left option)

For Question 2: “Who were they pretending to be?”

Select “Well-known or trusted business”

Click “Continue”

Provide as much detail as possible and submit your report

Your report helps authorities track patterns, take action against scammers, and protect others from similar fraud attempts.

To protect yourself from falling victim to housing pirates, we strongly recommend the following:

Official Channels

Book your accommodations through INDA or channels recommended by INDA on our websites.

Verification

If you receive unsolicited emails, phone calls, or messages from housing providers claiming to be affiliated with the event, be extremely cautious. These housing pirates may even say that an INDA staff member has recommended them. Verify their legitimacy by contacting INDA directly through our official contact information.

Regularly check the official event website or announcements for updates and information related to accommodations, exhibitor services, and any official partners.

Report

If you encounter any suspicious activity related to housing or accommodations, please report it immediately to our event team (registrar@inda.org). We take these matters seriously and will investigate any such reports.

Attendee Lists

Please be aware that INDA does not sell event attendee lists. Any email you receive that offers to sell lists is doing so fraudulently and you should ignore it.

Positive Experience

We want to ensure that your experience at INDA events is positive and cost-effective, and protecting you from potential scams is a priority for us. If you have any questions or concerns related to housing for events, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team at registrar@inda.org.

Thank you for your vigilance in this matter. We look forward to seeing you at INDA events, and together, we can make it a successful and enjoyable experience for all.

Sincerely,

The INDA Team

T: +1 919 459 3700

Email: info@inda.org