“Hello there!
This is Melissa and I am a experienced photographer.
I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without my approval, you must be aware that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s illicitly to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at <insert your domain> and my earlier publications to get evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
<Link to some file on Google Drive – removed>
If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the document above within the next few days, I’ll write a complaint on 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 was an email one of my customers received through the contact form on their website from Melissaphoto857@hotmail.com.
I’ve been involved with copyright issues before so am diligent about using only legitimate photos. My customers know to do the same, so this email was a surprise. If you get something like this, here are some basic steps you can take to see whether it could be legitimate.
First step: Don’t Click the LINK!!!
1) Do a search for the email address in a search engine. If you can’t find it, the sender is probably not a professional photographer. Otherwise their email address would be listed somewhere. There were no hits for this email address in a Google search.
2) Read carefully. Is the email written well? If someone’s about to sue you, their grammar will probably be better than “It’s illicitly to use stolen images . . .”
3) Search for a string of text in the email using quotation marks. I did a search for this phrase: “I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your website.” When I found it and the rest of the message on another site, that was another strong suggestion the email wasn’t legitimate.
So there you go. Three steps you can take to debunk this and other types of odd messages you receive through your website or email.
Remember: don’t click on any links!
Hope you’re having an amazing Saturday 🙂
Just encountered a very similar claim from Melissa, who is now also a “licensed illustrator”. Was already certain that this was a scam when a Google Search encountered your issue. I can say that “Melissa” has been getting around.
Thank you for the update, James! It’s unfortunate, but these scams do work at getting people to click the link, installing who knows what kind of spyware / malware / keyloggers etc.
Oh dear I’ve just clicked the link from Mel! I fell for it, she accused me steeling images. Will I get a virus?!
It would probably be prudent to run a malware and virus scan of your computer at your earliest convenience.
i got one from a spambot named mellie.
Received the same email from someone called Mel, with the same text and a googledrive link
I also received the same e-mail from Mel, a “certified illustrator” from a Hotmail account. Although, whoever this person is, changed “it’s illicitly to use stolen images” to “it’s not legal to use stolen images”. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same e-mail.
Just received the same from Mel Austin “menikon170@hotmail.com” I could tell right away it was a scam by the number profiled “141-635-9948.” We also use all our own images….. sheesh
Thank you for posting this! I just received an email from her and it had all of those spelling mistakes corrected. It looks legit but I’m glad I searched before I clicked the link!
What do you do if you clock the link?
It would probably be prudent to run a malware and virus scan of your computer at your earliest convenience.
I legit have a business. I searched her email address and it brought up a photographer so I legit got scared and I clicked the link but I was on my iPhone, it just took me to a blank page so nothing was downloaded. I am such an idiot and can’t believe it. What can I do? I heard iPhones are hard to infect. Will I be ok?
McAfee scan says no threats detected and I run really old software, but I’m still concerned.
You’re probably fine 🙂
I received two (different email addresses) messages through my website from Mel. The first message had incorrect spelling – the second did not. No links – maybe Wix doesn’t allow them or she / he has a new tactic. I did a search and there is no email match listed in google. Don’t know what to think – arg…
Just got mine…
This is Melina and I am a professional illustrator.
I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my consent, you should know that you could be sued by the copyrigh owner.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at cushniemcmahonlaw.com and my earlier publications to get evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
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.
Name: Mel
Email Melgallery328@gmail.com
Oh Jeez, I clicked the link, and it took me to a blank page “not Found”. I am on an Imac, how do I run a malware scan?
Thank you
Hi Elisabeth! Here’s a link to a site that can provides some guidance on antivirus and malware scanning for Macs: https://www.macworld.com/article/3263722/best-antivirus-for-mac.html Good luck!
Folks just clicking the link won’t do anything negative… these folks are banking on severe stupidity including not just clicking the link but also moving forward with installing a program / exe / file / app or some other download… if you accidentally clicked the link you’re fine.. if you proceeded to follow through and download/install wherever that link took you.. well… you’re probably not reading this because your computer has croaked so lesson learned for your I hope lol
Posting another version of this scam:
Hi,
This is Melisha and I am a professional photographer.
I was puzzled, mildly speaking, when I saw my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s permission, you should know that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
See this document with the links to my images you used at [your website] and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
[the bait/link]
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above within the next couple of days, I’ll file a 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.
Got me ss well…and I never go for these…
Blank page on download. On my Android. I will try a scan.
Thank y’all.
The world is full of trash!
Received an email from this scammer this morning. I knew right away it was a scam as everything is Fair Use on my website. Also, links to google docs is a huge sign of fishiness, no legitimate business or claim ever links to a google doc.
Here is a duplication of the message, I’ve removed the link text and my business name. Interestingly, this message was embedded as a window into the email and the heading “Alberta Aromatherapy Institute” which on a search, is a company revealed to be located in Canada.
“Name: Mel
Email: Melnikon948@hotmail.com
Phone: 17185525055
Comments: Hello, This is Meleane and I am a licensed illustrator. I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I recognised 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 creator. It\’s not legal to use stolen images and it\’s so selfish! Here is this document with the links to my images you used at (my company) and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my legal copyrights. Download it now and check this out for yourself: [LINK] If you don\’t remove the images mentioned in the file above during the next few days, I\’ll file a complaint against 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, for damn sure I am going to take it to court! And you won\’t receive the second notice from me.”
I got the same email. I was bit worried in the begging, but later i found the fraud.
I got the same with name Meleena….
I have pasted here and careful scam.
This is Meleena and I am a professional photographer and illustrator.
I was surprised, putting it lightly, when I found my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner\’s consent, you need to be aware that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It\’s not legal to use stolen images and it\’s so mean!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at (Link Removed) and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my ownership.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
link 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, for damn sure I am going to take legal action against you! And I won\’t give you a prior notice again.
Got one like this, this afternoon. From “Melika” (which was close enough to the name of one of the artists whose work I *do* licence that I did a double take.
And then common sense kicked in.
Not gonna click a dodgy looking link. She (!) didn’t even mention the name of the piece that was allegedly used (which I always do when *I* send DMCA notices!), nor say exactly who she was, or who she represented. And a gmail email address for a “professional” photographer?
Nope.
Thank you for the comment, Sarah!
I wish, with all my heart, that every “professional” in every industry would stop using free email addresses.
You’ll note, I don’t care if they use the PLATFORM, but when you can use most of these platforms to check other email accounts, there’s no reason anyone with a legitimate business should be using an address from a free email platform.
Sadly, it is common to see “professionals” using free email addresses, or even the ones that come from their ISP. Oh, so sad…
I run a small web design agency. My customers have all gotten this email, multiple times, through their contact forms. We have captcha & honeypot enabled on the majority of the sites. Anyone have any clue if there’s a way to block this email from getting sent out? I mean, I don’t know why people can’t read the last sentence “I will sue you/take legal action etc…without giving you prior notice” and ask “why did they just give me notice?” But the problem for me has been the questions or nasty emails from my clients asking why I used stolen photography…If anyone has any ideas, I’d be eternally grateful.
Hi Kevin! Yeah, this is a tough one to deal with when YOUR customers think you’ve done something wrong.
A couple of things come to mind. I once had a customer give me an image to use on their website that I thought was theirs. It was a picture of one of their helicopters flying over Niagara Falls. Very cool. Turns out it had been photoshopped. I was impressed – until I got a legal notice from the photographer’s digital rights management company saying I had infringed their customer’s rights by using this copyrighted photo and that I owed upwards of $3000 in licensing fees.
I called a lawyer (I am a customer of Pre-Paid Legal) and asked what to do. My lawyer asked if I had any signed waivers from the client that stated that any website content they gave me was clear of copyright. At that time, I did not. The advice my lawyer gave me was to “fall on my sword”, as they put it. Call the digital rights management company, explain the situation, and see what they decide. I did that and was glad to learn that instead of them wanting the money from me, that they were going to go after my customer instead, as it was my customer that gave me the image to use. I don’t know how that ended, but I was off the hook.
After that experience, I always made sure I had a conversation with my customers about copyright and plagarism, and I added a clause in my website development contract that said the client certifies / agrees that all content they provide me for the website will be free of copyright and plagarism. I only use images from stock libraries that come with proper licensing, and this is also reflected in my website development contract.
Once I started having “the talk” about copyrights and plagarism I never had a customer question me about whether I used stolen photography when they received something like this.
You can’t always prevent these types of emails from getting through, but if you’re proactive with your customers, most of them won’t get themselves worked into a tizzy when they get a message like this.
I hope you find my advice helpful 🙂
We got the exact same message above too from Meleena
My company just got the same email through our website contact form. I’m the company graphic artist so this bogus accusation was made aware to me. Here’s the body of the email:
” Name: Mel
Email: kon910@aol.com
Phone number: 17182715314
What are you getting in touch about?: Comment Card
Which location are you interested in?: EBC Tap + Bottle Taqueria
Your message: Hello there!
This is Melinda and I am a licensed illustrator.
I was baffled, putting it lightly, when I recognised my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s approval, you’d better know that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s illegal to use stolen images and it’s so disgusting!
Here is this document with the links to my images you used at and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the file above within the next several days, I’ll file a 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, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.”
This is still around. I got it today, and that’s why I’m here. I thought it was fishy. I never use any photos that aren’t mine….ever.
just got our own email. phone number provided, i’m tempted to call 19173580246.
“Hi there!
This is Melecia and I am a qualified photographer.
I was discouraged, frankly speaking, when I found my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s consent, you must know that you could be sued by the owner.
“
My church just received this email:
Email Address: Menikon777@hotmail.com
Subject: I’ve not given you any rights to use my images for [church url] without my approval! It’s against the law! This is a lawsuit against my rights! You must replace these images here and now!
Message: Hello there!
This is Melisha and I am a certified illustrator.
I was discouraged, putting it lightly, when I found my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s license, you must know that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s not legal to use stolen images and it’s so сheap!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at [church url] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
[Google Drive Link]
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above during the next several 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 doesn’t work, trust me I am going to report and sue you! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
Wow! Mel certainly gets around, doesn’t she? I mean, she must be one heck of a photographer/illustrator for so many of us to want to become thieves willing to pirate so many of her images. Yes, I just received my notice from her yesterday.
Just heard from her! She’s feeling pushy today. Her subject line was “Who gave you the rights to use my images for http://www.website.org without my approval! It’s illegal! It violates my rights! You must replace them here and now!!!” Although now her name is Melaida and she’s a licensed photographer AND illustrator.
Mel Jones
Email
Mhd4154@yahoo.com
Message
Hello there!
This is Melibella and I am a licensed photographer and illustrator.
I was baffled, frankly speaking, when I found 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 creator.
It’s not legal to use stolen images and it’s so selfish!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at http://www.lucasjohnfoundation.com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/view/4978540085409533/drive/folders/storage/shared/download?l=442994327313476178
If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the file above within the next several 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 doesn’t help, for damn sure I am going to take it to court! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
Exact same email via my Squarespace website from a ‘Melcia’
The new email from May 2021 is Mphotographer1511@aol.com – I got the email about 10 minutes ago
Got the exact email above from Mel Wright on May 2 2021 Came from my business website.