If your business has a website with a form on it, you may have gotten this particular scam. It warns of you “illegally” taking copyrighted images from their site without permission. It may ask you to pay a fine in gift cards, Bitcoin, or other currency of preference for scammers. However, this is the copyright image scam. Do not fall for it.
How the Copyright Image Scam Works
You will receive a form fill out or email saying something along these lines:
My name is Joe Blow.
Your website or a website that your company hosts is infringing on a copyright-protected images owned by myself.
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at staycool-hvac.com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself: SOME CRAZY LINK WITH SPAM, PHISHING, MALWARE, OR WORSE
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,
Some Scumbag Scammer
What to Do If You Receive This Scam
- Under no circumstances should you respond to the query.
- Do not click any links found in the query.
- If possible, block the sender of the email.
- Report the email to your provider as a scammer.
You may read more by clicking here.
The Basic Steps to Bookkeeping Services in Houston
Has the above happened to your Houston-based small to mid-sized business needs? Our bookkeeping services are professional, fairly priced, and help you avoid scams. Feel free to contact us to learn more on how B&J can help with your bookkeeping needs.