Scam Emails That Look Like They’re From Our Members: What’s Going On and How to Spot Them

Lately, New Westsiders members have been receiving scam emails that look like they’re coming from someone in our group. When this happens, Karen, our President, has been quick to alert the membership not to reply.

Because these emails keep popping up, we wanted to explain how this happens and what to look for, so you can spot a scam right away.

What’s Really Happening

These emails are usually not coming from a hacked club list or from the person whose name you see. Scammers use a tactic called email spoofing. They copy a real member’s name or email address to make the message feel familiar and trustworthy.

They build their email lists in a few common ways:

• If even one person’s email account is compromised, scammers can collect contacts and past group emails.
• Addresses can be gathered from reply chains, online sign-ups, shared documents, or public postings.
• Email addresses also come from unrelated data breaches, then get grouped together by location or connection.
• Once a scam email is sent, any reply confirms the address is active and worth targeting again.

This is why it can feel like “they emailed everyone.” They didn’t steal our list — they connected the dots.

Name Looks Right. Email Address Is Not.

This is one of the biggest clues.

Scammers often use a real member’s name as the sender, but the email address behind it is different.

Your inbox may show a familiar name, but when you look closer, the email address doesn’t match what you normally see from that person.

Scammers rely on the fact that most of us read email by name, not by address.

How to check:

• On a computer, hover over or click the sender’s name.
• On a phone, tap the sender’s name at the top of the message.

If the address doesn’t match what you’ve seen before, be cautious.

Other Red Flags to Watch For

• Urgent or emotional requests (“I need a favor right now,” “Please don’t tell anyone.”)
• Requests for gift cards, money, or codes
• Very short, vague messages with no context
• Pressure to move the conversation to text or another app

What To Do

• Don’t reply. Don’t click. Don’t send anything.
• Delete the email.
• If you’re unsure, contact the member directly using a known phone number or past email — not by replying to the message.
• You can forward suspicious emails to the NWS email address so we’re aware.

A Note About How NWS Sends Group Emails

When the Board emails the full membership, we send messages using BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).

That means:

• Your email address is hidden from other recipients
• Members can’t see or collect the full list
• It limits how email addresses can be shared or harvested

It’s a small step, but it helps protect everyone’s inbox.

One Last Reminder

If a scam email appears to come from you, it doesn’t mean your email was hacked. Your name or address was likely spoofed, and that’s unfortunately common.

When something feels off, pause and verify. A few extra seconds can prevent a big headache.