Protect Yourself Against Delegate List Scams

If you receive an email claiming to be from Music Mark offering to sell you an attendee list for one of our events, it is a scam. We have seen a worrying rise in the number of these scams being reported to us and have put together the advice below to help you identify and protect yourself against them.

Unfortunately, scams are commonplace and put you at risk at home and at work. More than £620,000,000 was lost to scams and fraud in first half of 2025. Understanding how scams work is a good first step to keeping yourself safe from them.

How did they get your email address?

The scammers use web crawlers or email scraping tools to collect email addresses listed publicly on the internet. They also collect contextual data which they can use to connect your email address to a particular industry. In some cases, scammers send emails to verify that your email address is active and then target you further when you have clicked on a link or replied.

How does the delegate list scam work?

Once the scammer has your email address and knows that you are a music industry target, they can send you an email offering you the opportunity to buy a delegate list for a Music Mark event. The email may be sent from a seemingly random email address, or it may be sent from an email address designed to look legitimately like a Music Mark email address by including the name of a Music Mark employee or trustee.

How to identify a scam email

Slow down your pace of work. This is your best defence against scammers who rely on people making quick decisions and instinctively clicking on links. By slowing down how quickly you respond to emails, you’ll be in a better position to consider whether the email you are reading is genuine.

Ask yourself:

• Do I know the sender?
• Is the email address a genuine Music Mark email address?
• Is this the type of communication I would expect from Music Mark?
• Are there errors in the details of the email?
• Are there spelling or grammatical mistakes in the text?
• Is there an unexpected attachment or link?
• Is the email asking for an urgent response?

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, it’s time to start considering whether the email might be a scam. Your next step might be to get advice from a colleague, friend or family member.

If you remain in any doubt about the legitimacy of an email relating to Music Mark, do get in touch with us by emailing info@musicmark.org.uk so that we can confirm whether or not the communication is genuine. When getting in touch, you can avoid putting Music Mark at risk by sending a screenshot of the suspicious email instead of forwarding it.

What should you do if you receive a scam email?

Do:

• Follow your organisation’s policy for reporting scams.
• Warn your colleagues in case they have also received the same email.
• Report the email as spam/junk within your email platform.
• Block the sender’s email address.
• Report the scam to the UK government Stop! Think Fraud campaign

Do not:

• Do not click on any links in the email.
• Do not reply to the sender.
• Do not forward the email to others.
• If the sender has offered an opportunity to opt out of further communications, do not follow their instructions as any response you give only confirms to the scammer that your email address is active.

What if you have already started communicating with or sent money to a scammer?

• Stop communicating with the scammer immediately.
• If you have sent money to a scammer, seek advice from your bank immediately.
• Change your password as soon as possible, even if you haven’t explicitly communicated your password to the scammer.
• Tell someone.
  • It’s not your fault. Scammers are professional criminals and you might be the victim of a crime. 1 in 16 adults in England and Wales were victims of fraud in a 12-month period ending June 2024. The reason these criminals continue to use the same scams repeatedly is because these scams work.
  • If you have interacted with a scam as part of your work for your employer, it is vital that you escalate the issue so that the organisation’s processes can be put into action.
  • Being a victim of a scam can make you feel a range of emotions. Tell someone you trust about what has happened and seek further support if you need it.

Getting more advice

The UK Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign provides resources to help you protect yourself and your business against scams.

Citizens Advice provides a range of support with scams including:

• Check if something might be a scam
• Check if you can get your money back after a scam
• What to do if you’ve been scammed
• Report a scam
• Get emotional support if you’ve been scammed

Take Five to Stop Fraud is a national campaign that empowers individuals and businesses across the UK to protect themselves against financial fraud.