Important Notice: Impersonation Scam
We have received multiple reports of individuals impersonating representatives of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI) and members of our 2026 conference team in an attempt to solicit money from authors.
These communications are not legitimate and are not associated with OWFI in any way.
What Has Been Reported
The messages we have reviewed share several consistent characteristics:
Invitations to participate as a “Featured Author” at the OWFI conference
Offers for “virtual table” or promotional packages requiring payment
Requests for payment via a personal PayPal account, specifying the “Friends & Family” option
Messages sent from personal Gmail or other non-OWFI email addresses
Use of real names and roles associated with OWFI to appear credible
These elements are indicative of an impersonation-based phishing attempt.
Verifying Official OWFI Communication
To help protect our members and the broader writing community, please use the following guidelines when evaluating any communication claiming to be from OWFI:
OWFI will only communicate through:
Email addresses ending in @owfi.org
Official OWFI channels and designated representatives
OWFI does not:
Offer paid “Featured Author” placements
Require payment to personal PayPal accounts
Request payment using “Friends & Family”
Conduct official business through Gmail or other public email services
If a message does not meet these criteria, it should be treated as suspicious.
What To Do If You Receive a Suspicious Message
If you receive a communication that appears to be from OWFI but includes any of the indicators above:
→ Do not send payment or provide personal information
→ Do not respond to the sender
→ Forward the message to scams@owfi.org for review
Your report helps us monitor and address these incidents more effectively.
Our Response
OWFI is actively monitoring this situation and reporting known instances to the appropriate platforms and service providers. At this time, there is no indication that OWFI systems or data have been compromised. This appears to be an external impersonation attempt.
Updates will be shared through official OWFI channels as needed. We encourage members and affiliates to reference this page when verifying communication or responding to inquiries.
Contact
If you have questions or concerns, please email us.
