Fraud Alert

Scammers are impersonating LAist hosts and staff to contact authors, publicists, and others with fake interview invitations conditioned upon payment of a fee.

These communications are fraudulent and are not authorized by or affiliated with LAist, AirTalk, Larry Mantle, or Southern California Public Radio.

LAIST NEVER CHARGES ANYONE TO APPEAR AS A GUEST ON ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS.

LAIST STAFF CONTACTS GUESTS ONLY FROM @LAIST.COM EMAIL ADDRESSES.

How the scam works

These messages can be convincing. Scammers may:

• Discuss your book or work in specific detail.
• Propose recording dates and times.
• Copy or use LAist names, logos, host biographies, photographs, signatures, official website links, and social-media accounts.
• Send fabricated invitations, agreements, identification documents, or screenshots.
• Impose a short deadline to respond.
• Contact you by direct email, through a contact form on your website, through social media, or through a professional networking platform.

After you express interest, the sender may request a “production investment,” “production package,” “administrative fee,” “booking fee,” “promotion fee,” or similar payment, typically ranging from $100 to $500. The sender may ask you to pay through a consumer payment service and provide a screenshot confirming payment. In some cases, the sender may reduce the amount if you say you cannot afford it.

We are also aware of similar fraudulent messages impersonating hosts and personnel at other public-radio stations.

What you should know

LAist does NOT charge anyone to appear as a guest on any of our programs.

Any request for payment in connection with an LAist appearance is fraudulent, regardless of the amount or how the payment is described.

LAist staff contact prospective guests ONLY from email addresses ending in @laist.com. If a message claims to be from an LAist host or producer but does not come from an @laist.com address, it did not come from LAist.

How to protect yourself

• Check the full email address. Do not rely on the display name. LAist’s official email domain is @laist.com.
• Never pay to appear on LAist. LAist does NOT charge for guest-appearances.
• Be skeptical of pressure. Short deadlines, urgency, payment requests, and instructions not to contact LAist are common signs of fraud.
• Request an official email. If someone contacts you by telephone, social media, a website form, or similar, ask them to email you from an @laist.com address.
• Do not engage with an unverified sender. Do not reply, send money, provide personal or financial information, click links, or open attachments.
• Verify independently. Use information published on LAist.com. Do not use contact information supplied in the suspicious message.
• Preserve evidence. Keep the original messages, attachments, sender information, telephone numbers, links, payment instructions, and account details.
• Report the communication. Send the original email to tborgen@americanpublicmedia.org as an attachment when possible.

If you have already sent money or shared personal information

• Contact your bank, credit card issuer, or the payment service you used immediately. Explain that the transaction resulted from an impersonation scam and ask whether it can be stopped or reversed.
• If you disclosed passwords or login credentials, change them immediately. Change any other accounts using the same or a similar password and enable multifactor authentication.
• If you shared sensitive identity information, consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit files.
• File a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://ic3.gov/.
• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
• Contact your state attorney general’s office. A directory is available at https://www.usa.gov/state-attorney-general.
• Report the sending account to the email provider, social-media platform, networking platform, website operator, or payment service involved.
• Notify LAist at tborgen@americanpublicmedia.org. If you still have the original message, send it as an attachment.