Some Society of American Florists members this week received a fraudulent email from “safnow” with the subject line “Membership Annual Update Due.” The email is a scam and did originate from SAF; members should not click on a link or provide company or credit card information.

“The scam email is requesting members to fill out ‘a declaration form and other documents’ in relation to their SAF membership,” explained Amanda Roberts, SAF’s membership manager. “This email did not come from the Society of American Florists. It is a scam, so do not click on links or provide any information.”

Phishing scams, where scam artists use electronic communications such as email and text messages, are increasingly common, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which has this guidance on how to detect and report such fraudulent campaigns.

SAF has reported its members’ experiences to the FTC and will continue to monitor the situation.

This phishing scam comes at a time when SAF is reaching out to members for legitimate dues renewals, making the timing especially discouraging, Roberts said.

“SAF is powered by its members,” she explained. “The content, marketing tools, government advocacy, industry surveys and events — both virtual and in-person — that we provide to the floral industry are a direct result of the investments our members make in SAF. It’s important to us that members aren’t misled by scam artists and that our members also have the opportunity to reinvest confidently in SAF and the floral industry community.”

SAF can help any member renew online; please reach out to us via LiveChat or reach out to membership specialist Kimberly Hay (khay@safnow.org).

Katie Butler is the senior vice president of the Society of American Florists.