I haven't had any dealings with IFPO, but I was curious because there are a lot of scams out there that start with the word "international" at the front of the title. I Googled the full title and found several entries that were either negative or claiming the organization is an outright scam. So, I'd be wary if I were you.....

Sorry I'm late coming to this topic, I just joined the forum after coming across it in a search.

I was a member of IFPO very early on, back in the mid to late '80's.

I wouldn't exactly call it a scam per se but I can say that it's benefits were of little or no use to me.

Their whole business seems to be getting people to purchase their PRESS Credential packages, claiming all sorts of special access to everything from police investigations to major concerts or entertainment venues.

Lets just say that the expectations of their credentials was over rated - although I did use them to gain "special" access to various bars to cover certain bands that I was interested in, saving me the $5 cover charge and getting me right up front with some courtesy from the bouncers

You would be far better visiting your local newspaper and asking for credentials from them as a contributor at large but you would probably need a decent portfolio to present them showing you can do the job. You may even get paid for your shots. This is what I eneded up doing and it worked quite well for me even scoring a few celebrity assignments.

Of course, again this was in the late 80's and early 90's. I don't know how it works now as I am just getting back into the field after a 15 year hiatus

Good Luck
The Dude