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Hi, thanks as always for reading TechCrunch. We want to talk with you quickly about something important. <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve discovered that scammers are impersonating TechCrunch reporters and event leads and reaching out to companies, pretending to be our staff when they absolutely are not. These bad actors are using our name and reputation to try to dupe unsuspecting businesses. It drives us crazy and infuriates us on your behalf.<\/p>\n
Anecdotally, this isn\u2019t just happening to us; fraudsters are exploiting the trust that comes with established news brands to get their foot in the door with companies across the media industry.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example of the most common scheme we\u2019ve been tracking: impostors impersonating our reporters to extract sensitive business information from unsuspecting targets. In several cases we know about, scammers have adopted the identity of actual staff members, crafting what looks like a standard media inquiry about a company\u2019s products and requesting an introductory call. <\/p>\n
Sharp-eyed recipients sometimes catch discrepancies in email addresses that don\u2019t match our real employees\u2019 credentials. But these schemes evolve quickly; bad actors keep refining their tactics, mimicking reporters\u2019 writing styles and referencing startup trends to make their pitches increasingly convincing. Equally troubling: victims who agree to phone interviews tell us the fraudsters use those calls to dig for even more proprietary details.<\/p>\n
Why are they doing this? We don\u2019t know, though a reasonable guess is that these are groups looking for initial access to a network.<\/p>\n
As for what to do about it, if someone reaches out claiming to be from TechCrunch and you have even the slightest doubt about whether they\u2019re legitimate, please don\u2019t just take their word for it. We\u2019ve made it easy for you to verify.<\/p>\n
Techcrunch event<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n