Fly fishing retailers nationwide report increasingly sophisticated scam attempts impersonating major industry brands. These fraudulent communications include highly convincing deepfake content, requests for payment processing, and sensitive banking information.

Before Processing Any Payment or Sharing Financial Information:

• Contact Your Authorized Sales Representative
• Always verify requests through your established sales representative using your existing contact information, not the phone numbers or email addresses provided in the suspicious message.
• Verify Through Multiple Channels
• If you receive an unexpected invoice or banking change request, verify it through email and phone using your standard contact list. Never rely on the contact information provided in the suspicious communication.

Watch for Red Flags

• Urgent or pressuring language demanding immediate action
• Requests to change standard payment procedures
• Poor grammar or unusual formatting
• Email addresses that look similar to but don't exactly match official addresses
• Unexpected changes to banking or payment details

Implement Internal Controls

• Require dual approval for any payment or banking changes. 
• Maintain an updated list of authorized vendor contacts
• Document your standard payment procedures and flag any deviations
• Train staff to recognize common scam tactics

If You Suspect Fraud:

• Do not respond to the suspicious communication
• Document everything

Report the attempt to:

• Your bank
• The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• The FTC
• The impersonated brand's official channels

Remember: Legitimate brands will never pressure you for immediate payment or request sensitive information through unofficial channels. When in doubt, pause and verify through established relationships.