There are many online "professional" organisations that advertise. One of these is an organisation called the American Academy of Financial Management or AAFM. If you have some academic qualification in accounting or finance you can "apply" for membership which consists of filling out an application form together with a credit card payment of US$450.00. In return you get a membership certificate of the AAFM and the right to use certain designations after your name. However, that is it. Nothing more. After investigating I discovered that the "CEO and Chair" (read owner) of this organisation makes claims that there is a "Board of Standards" that oversees the operations of the AAFM. However, it does not in fact exist and the sole decision maker is the owner. This scam has been going on for a number of years and I shudder to think how many people have wasted their money thinking they will actually be members of a professional body that gives them something for their money. It does not.