Hello, thanks for always reading TechCrunch. We need to quickly discuss something crucial.
We’ve found that scammers are posing as TechCrunch reporters and event leads, contacting companies under false pretenses. These impostors use our name and reputation to deceive businesses, which is frustrating and upsetting for us.
This isn’t only happening to us; fraudsters exploit the trust associated with established news brands across the media industry.
Here’s a common scam we’ve tracked: impostors pretend to be our reporters to extract confidential business information. In several instances, scammers have assumed the identities of actual staff members, crafting what appear to be standard media inquiries about a company’s products and requesting introductory calls.
Sometimes, recipients notice discrepancies in email addresses that don’t match our employees’ credentials. However, these scams evolve rapidly, with bad actors refining their tactics, imitating reporters’ writing styles, and referencing startup trends to make their pitches more convincing. Alarmingly, victims who agreed to phone interviews reported that fraudsters used those calls to probe for additional proprietary details.
We can’t pinpoint their motives, but they might be seeking initial network access.
What to do: If someone contacts you claiming to be from TechCrunch and you have any doubts about their legitimacy, don’t take their word for it. It’s easy to verify.
Check our [staff page](https://techcrunch.com/about-techcrunch/) to see if the person contacting you actually works here. If their name isn’t listed, you’ve discovered the scam.
If their name appears but their job description doesn’t match their request (e.g., a TechCrunch copy editor inquiring about your business), it’s likely a scam.
If it seems legitimate but you want to be sure, feel free to contact us directly (you can learn how to reach each writer, editor, sales exec, marketing guru, and events team member in our bios).
We understand it’s frustrating to double-check media inquiries, but these groups rely on you skipping this step. By verifying, you’re not only protecting your own company but also helping maintain the trust that legitimate journalists need to do their jobs.
Thank you.