Scam Copyright Email from a Photographer / Illustrator
Many of the recent emails mention the company Xero Inc and spoof emails to appear as if they are sending from Xero.com. Updated May 2021: The text of the phishing emails have changed and become slightly more professional using a wider variety of names other than variations on “Mel” like Mary, Theresa and Tamika. The latest versions of the scam are citing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Copyright Violation Notification in the email, which may be more convincing for U.S. recipients.
We have received reports from clients about a malicious scammer named “Mel” (“Mellie” in one case and “Melina” in the other) filling out their website form, and very aggressively claiming copyright infringement.
The email arrives via your website contact form and accuses you of using copyrighted website images and asks you to click on a link to see the list of the images that are in violation. (DON’T CLICK THE LINK.)The writer threatens to file a complaint with your hosting company and sue you.
The text of the first scam phishing email was:
Hello there!
This is Mellie and I am a qualified illustrator.
I was baffled, frankly speaking, when I came across my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without my approval, you need to be aware that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s illegal to use stolen images and it’s so nasty!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at [website URL] and my earlier publications to obtain evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
[Redacted link to the phishing site]
If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I’ll write a complaint against you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Some of the professions the scammer is claiming to be include:
Professional Photographer
Licensed Photographer
Experienced photographer and illustrator
Qualified illustrator
And the sender is going by names similar to “Mel”, but recently other names are being reported such as Simone, Loretta and Christy. Here’s a list:
Mel
Melinda
Melina
Mellie
Melisha
Melaenis
Melissa
Melaida
Melitta
Melcia
Meladia
Melecia
Meleena
Melea
Melangelle
Melaina
Melanka
Melibella
Melnikon
Melane
Melly
Simone
Loretta
Christy
The scammer uses different fake email addresses, fake phone numbers and variations on the last name, as well.
What is the Goal of this Phishing Scam?
The end goal of the scam isn’t clear, but the immediate goal is to scare you and get you to click the link.
Clicking the link may take you to a file download or a website that may allow the hacker to seize control of your device (if your device is not protected by sufficient antivirus software to block it). It may take you to a phishing page asking you to enter more information, which you should never do.
The hacker may then be able to do one of the following:
Hold your device hostage demanding a ransom
Exploit having access to your machine to compromise your other accounts like email or banking
Inject worms/viruses that infect your machine and use it to launch attacks against others
Take a look at how similar the wording is for the second email one of our clients received this week:
From: Mel [mailto:[REMOVED]]
Sent: Monday, August 3, 2020 12:02 PM
To: [REMOVED]
Subject: Why do you use my images for [REMOVED] without my consent! It’s unlawfully! It violates my rights! You must remove images right now!
From: Mel <[REMOVED]>
Subject: Why do you use my images for [REMOVED] without my consent! It’s unlawfully! It violates my rights! You must remove images right now!
Message Body:
Hi there!
This is Melina and I am a experienced photographer and illustrator.
I was surprised, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my consent, you need to be aware that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s illegal to use stolen images and it’s so nasty!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at [REMOVED] and my earlier publications to get evidence of my legal copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
[MALICIOUS URL REMOVED]
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I’ll write a complaint against you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
—
This mail is sent via contact form on [REMOVED]
In May 2021, the text and phrasing of the email has been updated to sound more professional quoting U.S. Copyright statutes. Take a look at an example from May 2021:
Subject: [URL REMOVED] Dmca Copyright Infringement Notification
My name is Teresa. (We’ve also seen Brittany being used a lot)
Your website or a website that your company hosts is infringing on a copyright-protected images owned by myself.
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at [URL REMOVED] and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
[Google sites URL redacted]
I believe you have willfully infringed my rights under 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq. and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $150,000 as set forth in Section 504(c)(2) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (”DMCA”) therein.
This letter is official notification. I seek the removal of the infringing material referenced above. Please take note as a service provider, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act requires you, to remove or disable access to the infringing materials upon receipt of this notice. If you do not cease the use of the aforementioned copyrighted material a lawsuit will be commenced against you.
I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
Best regards,
How to Spot a Phishing Email
Awkward Grammar: Look for awkward grammar and word usage such as “It’s unlawfully!”, in this case.
Check Spelling: Bad spelling is also another red flag.
Hover Over a Link to See the True URL (but NEVER click it): Phishing scams will try to hide the true URL to which the link leads. When you hover, you can see the true destination of the URL, regardless of what the link says.
Be Suspicious of Unsolicited Attachments: Never click on or download an unsolicited or unexpected unusual attachment. Always be suspicious of this.
Don’t Let Them Intimidate You: Phishing email attempts frequently try to elicit an emotional response from you by using inflammatory or threatening language such as the threat to sue you and file a complaint with your host in this example. Another common tactic is to threaten that an account has been suspended or that you have committed a crime or are in violation of an agreement. Always be suspicious and take a beat before acting on any communication that uses threats.
Have you received a similar email via your contact form?
Since we’ve had so many reports of this phishing scam, we wanted to spread the word about it since it uses a fairly effective scare tactic against businesses. Let us know in the comments if you’ve received a similar phishing scam email via the contact form on your website.
Liz Eisworth is the founder and lead designer of SangFroid Web located in Alpharetta, GA. As an experienced website designer and SEO strategist, Liz designs custom WordPress websites, optimizes websites for SEO, and leverages Local SEO / Google Business Profiles for business owners who are looking to improve their online presence to earn more traffic and leads. She built her first website for a business in 2003 and her first WordPress website in 2006. Learn more about Liz »
This is Mellie and I am a professional photographer and illustrator.
I was confused, to put it nicely, when I found my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you must be aware that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s illegitimate to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Here is this document with the links to my images you used at [url removed] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
[removed]
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the file above during the next few days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it is not enough, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take legal action against you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Name: Mel Moore
Email: Melgallery110@hotmail.com
Comment:
Hello, This is Melinda and I am a professional illustrator. I was baffled, putting it lightly, when I saw my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s consent, you’d better know that you could be sued by the copyright owner. It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so wicked! Here is this document with the links to my images you used at __________________ and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my legal copyrights. Download it now and check this out for yourself: [url removed] If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above during the next few days, I’ll file a to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property. And if it is not enough, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take it to court! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Here’s a new spelling. “Melynda” Same song different day. Arrived via form entry.
Questions: –
Is there a way to track form entry time and IP location?
Is there a way to geo-restrict form responses?
=======================================
Email:
fake email…
First Name:
Mel
Phone Number:
Fake phone num 919 …
Hi there!
This is Melynda and I am a certified photographer.
I was discouraged, mildly speaking, when I recognised my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you should know that you could be sued by the creator.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so disgusting!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at [url removed] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my legal copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
sites [dot ] google [dot] com/view/FileID and all that removed….
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the document above within the next couple of days, I’ll file a complaint against you to your hosting provider letting them know that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it is not enough, trust me I am going to take legal action against you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Whether or not the IP address and entry time is logged will depend on if the forms plugin you are using (like WPForms or Gravity Forms) collects and stores that info. We use Gravity Forms, so I know it logs this info, but not sure about others….but seems likely. As far as geo-blocking, you can look into any options offered by your specific forms plugin or you can block using some type of firewall, like for example, WordFence Premium, Cloudflare and Malcare allow you to create a geo-fence and block by country. However, this can sometimes create other unintended consequences like accidentally blocking real users (b/c no system is perfect…or they just happen to be out of the country) or a penalty from Google Ads for blocking countries…as examples. I believe that the EU even has some regulation around ‘unjustified’ geo-blocking. So you would just want to weigh the risks and benefits for your particular situation before taking that step.
Thank you for sharing this Liz. My husband received this via a contact form yesterday so it’s still going on. The text was very similar to above, but I’m sharing it in case it helps someone who googles the phone or email used for “Mel” in the one we got. My husband clicked on it and got the message “file not found”. I’m hoping nothing happened but I’ll do a virus scan, etc. when he’s not on a video call :-).
First name: Mel
Last name: Caba
Email: Meshot336@yahoo.com
Phone: 19171376334
Message: Hi, This is Melea and I am a certified photographer and illustrator. I was puzzled, putting it lightly, when I recognised my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s consent, you should know that you could be sued by the copyright holder. It’s illegitimate to use stolen images and it’s so mean! See this document with the links to my images you used at http://www.[removed].com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my legal copyrights. Download it right now and check this out for yourself: [url removed] If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the file above within the next few days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property. And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take it to court! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
This is Melibella and I am a licensed photographer and illustrator.
I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I saw my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you should know that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so low!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at [url removed] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my ownership.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
[url removed]
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above within the next several days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t help, for damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
I just got this one and I stupidly clicked the link. Now running a Norton scan in hopes of disinfecting my machine.
——————-
Name: Mel
Email: Megallery710@yahoo.com
Message: Hi,
This is Mellie and I am a professional photographer and illustrator.
I was confused, to put it nicely, when I found my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you must be aware that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s illegitimate to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Here is this document with the links to my images you used at [url removed] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
[removed]
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the file above during the next few days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it is not enough, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take legal action against you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Name: Mel Moore
Email: Melgallery110@hotmail.com
Comment:
Hello, This is Melinda and I am a professional illustrator. I was baffled, putting it lightly, when I saw my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s consent, you’d better know that you could be sued by the copyright owner. It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so wicked! Here is this document with the links to my images you used at __________________ and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my legal copyrights. Download it now and check this out for yourself: [url removed] If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above during the next few days, I’ll file a to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property. And if it is not enough, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take it to court! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Here’s a new spelling. “Melynda” Same song different day. Arrived via form entry.
Questions: –
Is there a way to track form entry time and IP location?
Is there a way to geo-restrict form responses?
=======================================
Email:
fake email…
First Name:
Mel
Phone Number:
Fake phone num 919 …
Hi there!
This is Melynda and I am a certified photographer.
I was discouraged, mildly speaking, when I recognised my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you should know that you could be sued by the creator.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so disgusting!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at [url removed] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my legal copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
sites [dot ] google [dot] com/view/FileID and all that removed….
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the document above within the next couple of days, I’ll file a complaint against you to your hosting provider letting them know that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it is not enough, trust me I am going to take legal action against you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Whether or not the IP address and entry time is logged will depend on if the forms plugin you are using (like WPForms or Gravity Forms) collects and stores that info. We use Gravity Forms, so I know it logs this info, but not sure about others….but seems likely. As far as geo-blocking, you can look into any options offered by your specific forms plugin or you can block using some type of firewall, like for example, WordFence Premium, Cloudflare and Malcare allow you to create a geo-fence and block by country. However, this can sometimes create other unintended consequences like accidentally blocking real users (b/c no system is perfect…or they just happen to be out of the country) or a penalty from Google Ads for blocking countries…as examples. I believe that the EU even has some regulation around ‘unjustified’ geo-blocking. So you would just want to weigh the risks and benefits for your particular situation before taking that step.
Thank you for sharing this Liz. My husband received this via a contact form yesterday so it’s still going on. The text was very similar to above, but I’m sharing it in case it helps someone who googles the phone or email used for “Mel” in the one we got. My husband clicked on it and got the message “file not found”. I’m hoping nothing happened but I’ll do a virus scan, etc. when he’s not on a video call :-).
First name: Mel
Last name: Caba
Email: Meshot336@yahoo.com
Phone: 19171376334
Message: Hi, This is Melea and I am a certified photographer and illustrator. I was puzzled, putting it lightly, when I recognised my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s consent, you should know that you could be sued by the copyright holder. It’s illegitimate to use stolen images and it’s so mean! See this document with the links to my images you used at http://www.[removed].com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my legal copyrights. Download it right now and check this out for yourself: [url removed] If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the file above within the next few days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property. And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take it to court! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂
Go the same email today.
Name: Mel Saramago
Email: Mphoto595@aol.com
Photography Needs: Wedding/Bridals/Engagements
Message: Hi there!
This is Melibella and I am a licensed photographer and illustrator.
I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I saw my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you should know that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so low!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at [url removed] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my ownership.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
[url removed]
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above within the next several days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t help, for damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.