Following an increase in phishing attempts targeting organisations across the sector, we are publishing guidance for our community on identifying and reporting fraudulent communications relating to RSA activity that purport to come either directly from the Association or from those who work/volunteer for us.
We draw your attention to the ongoing risk of phishing and fraudulent communications circulating via email and other channels. Individuals and organisations sometimes impersonate the Association and all those working with us in paid or voluntary positions across the functions of journals and book publications, grant giving, conference and event organisation, etc., in order to solicit payments or obtain personal or financial information under false pretences.
We will not:
- Request bank account details by email without independent verbal confirmation.
- Request urgent or unscheduled payments by email alone.
Should you receive a communication claiming to be from the RSA that you believe to be suspicious, we recommend the following precautions:
Do not:
- Respond to the communication, click any links, or open any attachments contained within it.
- Make any payment or disclosure of information until the request has been verified independently. For matters directly related to the Association, please get in touch with us via office@regionalstudies.org. For matters related to publishing, please use journals@regionalstudies.org rather than any addresses provided in the suspicious communication itself.
The Regional Studies Association is unable to accept any liability for any loss, damage, or expense arising from fraudulent, fake, or spoofed communications purporting to originate from the Association, or from a failure to independently verify instructions before acting upon them.