In the past few days I’ve had clients forward phishing scam emails to me that claim they have copyrighted images on their websites.

The emails come through website contact forms and ask you to click on a link to view a document which shows which images have been used without permission.

Remember – never click on links in any email sent from someone you do not know. If these links are clicked on they will download viruses, malware, etc. to your computer. Then the hacker may be able to hold your device hostage and demand some kind of payment, obtain access to your computer and compromise accounts like email and banking, or Inject viruses that infect your computer and use it to launch attacks against others.

The emails come from emails like Melgallery654@gmail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. etc. with names like Mel Johnson, Mel Stone, Meleeora, Mellie, Melina, Melissa or even Melibella.

They claim to be a qualified photographer, licensed illustrator, certified illustrator, professional photographer, licensed photographer or illustrator etc…

Here is one of the emails:

This is Meleeora and I am a professional photographer.

I was puzzled, putting it lightly, when I came across 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 owner.

It's against the law to use stolen images and it's so wicked!

Here is this document with the links to my images you used at [Clients website] and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.

Download it right now and check this out for yourself: [long link starting with https://sites.google.com/view]

If you don't remove the images mentioned in the file above within the next few days, I'll file a to your hosting provider stating 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 won't give you a prior notice again.

We hope that if your received one of these emails you did an internet search before you clicked on anything.

These kind of scams work because they send so many out, and it only takes one person out of a thousand to click on the wrong link.

This morning (March 23, 2021) 2 different clients of mine received a bogus invoice via FAX (Yes I said FAX) from a company called Web Envy.

The invoices were for SEO/Link Building services for $98.57.

This is the first time I've ever seen one of these letters being sent via fax. And normally there is some fine print saying “this is not a bill, etc. But this came through like a regular invoice.

Supposedly this company is in Texas but the number the FAX was sent from was (239) 237-1702 which is a Florida number. A quick search on this phone number showed many complaints about this number with some people stating when they received the fax via eFax the PDF’s contained Malware.

Apparently, the phone number (239) 237-1702 also sends bogus faxes claiming to be from GoDaddy, CareMax Pharmacy and even Amazon as well.

When I checked the Web Envy domain (webenvysolutions.com), it showed that it was just registered for the first time on March 7 2021 - so this website has only been up 16 days - not since 2013 like they claim.

The strange thing is that the website has quite a few pages – and it appears the companies and projects are real companies. If you go to the webenvysolutions.com website – it is very generic and the social media links on their site don't go anywhere because they have no social media presence at all.

Also the internet archive has no history of this company / website. When I do a search for Texas businesses and DBA's - there is no company called Web Envy Solutions. When I type in their business address Google maps shows a rundown strip Mall where half of the offices are empty.

So, is this a legit company that recently changed it’s name and got a new domain, or did a unscrupulous company buy this website and is now using it to scam people?

But then we are back to the Fake bills and malicious faxes. If a hacker is sending these out – why do they go to the Web Envy business address and use it’s phone number?

Last but not least – When I call the Web Envy phone number (1-888-236-2606) I get a recording saying this number is no longer in service.

So if you get a FAX from this scam company - toss this in the trash. If you open a PDF with one of these invoices – scan your computer for Malware immediately.

Don't fall for scams! If you receive anything via email or snail mail (or FAX) and you are not familiar with the company or unsure what the invoice is for - please take a few minutes and Google it!

Since the pandemic started there has been a noticeable increase in phishing emails, scams, and different types of fraud.

Recently phishing attacks look even more like they came from a specific company. This is called “spearfishing,” and hackers might pose as your bank, credit card company, or a site like Dropbox or PayPal. Generally, targets receive an email that looks as if it came from a legitimate business. You might be prompted to click on a link to “verify account details” and from there, malware is installed on your device.

Where you once had to download a file or an app to get malware, it’s now a matter of clicking a link. These kind of fileless attacks are also more difficult to detect, as most antivirus programs only scan your hard drive.

What to Do if you receive one of these emails

• Never click a link in an email that comes from a bank, government agency, or commercial institution. If the link comes from a company, check your account by going directly to the website by typing the URL into the navigation bar manually.
• Check at least once a week for updates for your computer’s security software, and run scans several times a week. I personally have used Webroot for the last 8 years – it runs in the background and automatically scans for viruses. I have been very happy with it. Also Malwarebytes is a great program that removes malware and spyware.
• If you get an unsolicited call from someone who claims to be a tech support provider for your computer or software – hang up!
• If you get any warning message on your computer – read it carefully. Bad grammar or misspelled words are telltale signs of a false warning.
• If you get a fake virus alert message – just shut down your browser. You can do this on a Windows PC by pressing Control-Alt-Delete and bringing up the Task Manager. On a Mac, press the Option, Command, and Esc (Escape) keys, or use the Force Quit command from the Apple menu.
• Never allow someone who calls you out of the blue to access your computer remotely.
• Never rely on caller ID to determine if a caller is on the level. Scammers can make it appear as if they’re calling from a legitimate number.
• Never give your computer username or any account passwords to someone over the phone.
• Never provide financial information to someone who calls a few days, weeks or months after you've made a tech support purchase and asks if you were satisfied — it's probably a “refund scam.” If you say “No,” the caller will ask for bank or credit card information, ostensibly to deposit a refund in your account but actually to steal from you.

The majority of the content used for this blog post was taken from a great email newsletter sent out a while back from H-Built Computers here in Sarasota. Sadly, the owner closed the business this last year to pursue his passion for video production. I really miss those guys, they built 3 different computers for me over the years and did all my IT work. They were the go-to guys I trusted my computer to when there was a problem. Heath – I hope you don’t mind me “borrowing” your newsletter content, but it was some great advice I wanted to pass along.

If you need Video Production or Graphic design and you are in the Sarasota Fl or Johnson City TN area – check out Rocket Booster. They also do Digital Marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing and Web Development (I don’t mind giving them a plug – I know they do great work). Also check out Heath Jordan’s site.

I always find it amusing when I get emails like the one below. Obviously, this is not a real person and even if it was they never looked at my website. Unfortunately too many people who get these spam emails actually reply to them – and that only encourages these spammers.

Sometimes they even send emails that have been personalized with your name and website address, but rest assured it was an email automatically generated by software probably on a computer located in a dark dusty closet in Turkey, china, or India.

The software behind these emails uses publicly available information on domain name owners to get the contact emails.  Or, your contact info may have been just on a list purchased by the spammer.

When hundreds of thousands of emails are sent – they only need a handful of gullible people to take the bait.

From: Caroline Vance <vance _caroline@ aol.com>;
Sent: Fri, May 29, 2020 5:38 am
Subject: Re: Website Designing

Hi,

My Name is Caroline, and I design great look websites for small business owners with my cost effective service. I'm contacting you to see if there are changes or enhancements that you'd like to make to your site. Have you been thinking about upgrading your site to a cutting edge look and feel or add a few elements to the site that will help automate some of your business? If so, I'd really love to speak with you.

If you are interested then I will send you our past work details, client testimonials and web quotation.

I am waiting for your positive response,

Thanks,

Caroline Vance

The program even followed up 3 months later:

Hi

Hope you are doing well.

Did you get a chance to see the my previous email?

looking for positive response.

Thanks

Caroline Vance

No phone number, no company name or address, they just want a reply so they know they have a real person.

It’s tempting to reply and tell them to stop sending emails – but don’t do it! Just delete the emails. If enough people ignore them – maybe someday they will stop.

Scammer's website Www.internetnetworx.net
Scammer's address PO Box 957268 Duluth, Georgia 30095
Scammer's email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Type of a scam Fake Invoice/Supplier Bill

Scam artists often send fake invoices to businesses hoping to trick them into paying for products or services that they did not order, that have little or no value, or that are never delivered. Many of these “invoices” appear at first glance to be legitimate bills.

One of these is a website listing scam by Internet Networx. They send solicitations disguised as bills for website listing services.  If you receive any mail from Internet Networx asking you to send them a check – throw that mail in the trash where it belongs.

Internet Networx has an F Rating from the BBB

BBB Pattern of Complaints

According to information in BBB files, this company has a pattern of complaint regarding invoices being sent to consumers. Specifically, complaints allege the invoices being sent look like they are coming from a government agency or other agencies.

Federal law prohibits any mailing which is “in the form of, and reasonably could be interpreted or construed as, a bill, invoice, or statement of account due” but is, in fact, “a solicitation for the order by the addressee of goods or services,” unless the mailing includes the following notice:

This is a solicitation for the order of goods or services, or both, and not a bill, invoice, or statement of account due. You are under no obligation to make any payments on account of this offer unless you accept this offer.

Federal law requires that this notice (or one like it) be printed on the face of the mailing in “conspicuous and legible type in contrast by typography, layout, or color with other printing on its face.”

You can report scammers like this to the Federal Trade Commission. You can file a claim at reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Let’s face it, most customers, happy or otherwise, don’t leave reviews, but why?

Understanding a few of the more common reasons why customers don’t leave reviews will help you overcome those barriers and get you more 5-star reviews.

Reason #1: They forgot what you did for them.

Customers are far more likely to forget the good things you did than the bad so make sure you ask for reviews before they forget what a great job you did.

Reason #2: They can’t find your business on the popular review sites.

Make it super easy for them by providing links to the right pages.

Reason #3: They are secretly unhappy…

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* Source: The White House Office of Consumer Affairs
** Source: Lee Resources