How to Avoid Conference-Related Scams Pretending to Be from AWP

Updated

AWP has published a notice titled "Beware Conference-Related Scams," warning that individuals or organizations may contact you claiming to represent AWP and ask you to verify information. Treat any unsolicited message that invokes AWP or its conference as unverified until you confirm it through AWP's own website or another official channel you look up yourself. The site does not publish a detailed list of scam tactics, so the safest approach is to verify first and respond later.

What the AWP Notice Actually Says

The announcement on awpwriter.org is brief: "Individuals or organizations may contact you under the guise that they represent AWP and ask you to verify" information. That is the core warning — someone may present themselves as an AWP representative and request that you confirm details.

Because the public notice stops there, do not assume any specific request (payment, login credentials, hotel bookings, membership renewal) is legitimate just because it mentions AWP. The absence of a detailed list is itself a reason to verify rather than guess.

Why Conference Contexts Are a Target

AWP runs an annual conference with thousands of attendees, and the site notes the organization has over ten thousand members. Conference season involves logistics that naturally generate email and phone contact: registration, schedules, housing, and exhibitor arrangements. That volume makes it plausible for a scammer to blend in with routine messages.

The site also references upcoming conference programming such as the #AWP27 HBCU Fellowship Program and #AWP27 Tribal Colleges & Universities Fellowship Program. If you are a fellow, presenter, or exhibitor, you may expect legitimate outreach — which is exactly the situation where a fake message can slip through.

A Verification Routine You Can Follow

Use this sequence whenever a message claims an AWP connection:

  1. Pause before acting. Do not reply, click links, or provide information in the first message.
  2. Identify what is being requested. Note whether the sender wants you to "verify" details, pay something, log in, or share personal data.
  3. Verify through a channel you choose. Open awpwriter.org directly by typing the address, or use a contact method you already had — not the phone number, link, or reply address in the suspicious message.
  4. Check the site's own announcements. The "Beware Conference-Related Scams" post is the place AWP uses to flag known issues; check whether it has been updated.
  5. Confirm before responding. Only after AWP confirms the request is real should you provide information or take action.

What to Do If You Already Responded

If you replied or shared information before verifying, stop further contact through that channel and re-establish contact through awpwriter.org. The site does not publish a dedicated scam-reporting address in the material available, so use the official contact options listed on the site rather than any address supplied by the suspicious message.

Red Flags to Watch For

The notice does not enumerate warning signs, so these are general precautions consistent with its warning:

  • A message that pressures you to "verify" account or registration details via a link.
  • A sender who claims AWP representation but whose reply address or phone number you cannot match to the official site.
  • Requests for payment or credentials that arrive outside the normal registration process you initiated.
  • Urgency tied to a conference deadline, which discourages you from checking.

None of these alone proves fraud, but each is a reason to run the verification routine above.

Practical Habits for Conference Season

  • Keep a bookmark to awpwriter.org and reach the site that way rather than through email links.
  • Treat fellowship and program outreach carefully. If you are involved with programs like the HBCU or TCU fellowships, confirm logistics through the site before acting on a message.
  • Separate what you know from what you're told. The site confirms AWP's 60th anniversary celebration runs until September 25, 2027, and that a silent auction was live through October 30 — but a message citing such events is not proof of legitimacy on its own.

The bottom line: AWP has explicitly warned that people may pose as its representatives and ask you to verify information. Verify through awpwriter.org first, and only then decide whether to respond.