Originally published May 14, 2026, by the Appraisal Institute
Reprinted with permission from AI

We have been made aware of a fraud/scam targeting Appraisal Institute members. Bad actors are impersonating the Appraisal Institute and attempting to collect membership dues payments through a fake third-party organization. This scam may arrive by email and may also include phone-based interactions that attempt to set up fraudulent installment plans.

How the scam works

• You may receive a message claiming your membership payment is overdue and urging immediate action.
• The message may come from an address that is not an Appraisal Institute email address (a reported example is membership.verification @ vk.com).
• The message may direct you to a non-Appraisal Institute website to enter payment information, or instruct you to call a phone number to set up payment/“installment” arrangements.
• In some cases, members have reported being guided by phone to set up what appeared to be installment plans and have made payments through the fraudulent company.

What you should do

• Do not click links, open unexpected attachments, or provide payment information in response to these messages.
• Do not call any phone number provided in a suspicious email/text.
• To confirm your membership status or make a payment, go directly to the Appraisal Institute website by typing the address into your browser (do not use links from unsolicited messages).
• If you receive a suspected scam message, please forward it to our customer service team for review (include the sender address and any phone number shown).

If you already made a payment or shared financial information

• Contact your bank/credit card company immediately to report the fraud, stop payment (if possible), dispute charges, and replace your card(s).
• Monitor your account(s) closely for unauthorized transactions.
• If you provided any additional personal information, consider taking additional steps recommended by your financial institution (for example, placing a fraud alert).
• Notify the Appraisal Institute that you were contacted so we can track the scope of the issue and assist as appropriate.

Reminder: The Appraisal Institute will not ask you to make dues payments through an unknown third party. When in doubt, do not engage with the message and contact the Appraisal Institute through our official website/phone listing.