04.09.2026
ATIBT wishes to alert its members and partners to the circulation of fraudulent emails using the names or identities of association officials. These messages may, in particular, solicit financial assistance, donations, wire transfers, or the disclosure of personal or banking information. We urge you to exercise the utmost caution.
Always check the sender’s actual address
ATIBT was recently informed of a fake email impersonating its President, Françoise Van de Ven. The message, sent from an email address not belonging to ATIBT, claimed that one of its members was facing serious health issues and solicited donations to fund a medical procedure.
This message is fraudulent and was not sent by either the President or ATIBT.
This attempted scam serves as a reminder that identity theft techniques are becoming increasingly convincing. Fraudsters may use the name of someone known to their recipients, forge a professional signature, or refer to real members and partners in order to inspire trust. They may also cite an urgent or particularly sensitive situation to pressure recipients into acting quickly.
Some Essential Precautions
ATIBT urges its members and partners to be particularly vigilant when an unusual message requests a payment, a donation, a bank transfer, bank account information, or any other confidential information.
In particular, you should carefully verify the sender’s actual email address, avoid clicking on any links or opening attachments if in doubt, and, above all, confirm the request directly with the person or organization in question using their usual and known contact information.
The sense of urgency conveyed in a message should never lead you to bypass these verification steps.
If in doubt, please contact ATIBT via another channel
ATIBT does not ask its members or partners to make donations or transfers based solely on an email of this type.
If you receive a suspicious message using the name of ATIBT, its President, its Executive Board, or one of its staff members, do not reply and do not provide any personal or banking information. We encourage you to report it to the ATIBT team so that we can verify its authenticity and, if necessary, alert our network.
Everyone’s vigilance helps to protect our entire professional community.
