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Last week I was the target of a few collaboration scam emails.
I had a new scam email featuring Maybelline.
The sender
The email was sent from a Gmail account. So that’s a red flag.
the email was sent from the following address:
MAYBELLINE COLLABORATION maybellinebeautyandcosmetics@gmail.com
The email
The email is typical to others I’ve shared in the past. They offer free products and big payouts.
Hello],
We’re thrilled to announce our collaboration campaign this season at Maybelline! We’re launching our ambassadorship program and would love for you to be a part of it.
As a valued ambassador, you’ll receive:
- A monthly PR package worth $3000, featuring our newest products (choose up to 14 items)
- An exclusive discount code to share with your audience
- Shout-outs and reposts on our official social media handles
In return, we ask that you:
- Create engaging content featuring the PR package products (either wearing them or showcasing them in a post)
- Tag us in your posts
Our compensation structure includes:
- $1500 per post, with potential increases as sales grow through your showcases
Please note that prompt responses to our emails are crucial once you begin this collaboration. We’re excited to hear back from you soon!
Best regards,
Maybelline Team
Anna Spitzer
Global PR Manager
Address: New York, 10 Hudson Yards, United States.
©️ MAYBELLINE. All Rights Reserved
How to spot it’s a scam
There ae a few ways you can spot if it’s a scam email.
- Check email address (No Gmail, Hotmail or free email service). All brands have official emails such as brand@brandname.com
- Check for misspellings, grammar issues or general setenece structure issues or oddities.
- If there are big payout for little work (shoutouts, image posts etc and you get $1,000 it’s a scam)
- If the email shows up out of the blue always be suspicious.
Another things you can do is do an online search to see if there has been any posts listing it as a scam. You can also reach out to a brand via social media or their conact us page/email.
Another tool you can use is the norton genie. These scam emails aren’t an exact science so even AI help may not work it’s best but it can give you an idea if it’s a scam.
What type of scam is this?
I would think it’s a phishing scam and possibly a money scam rolled into one.
Had I replied back to the email they probably would have gotten me hyped about the collaboration. The scammers may claim that your PR box would arrive soon. Before it’s arrival they may ask for money for shipping costs or postage.
That’s all just a hypothetical guess on my part. Either way I definitely could see this becoming a phishing scam asking for your personal info or banking details.
All we can do as keep an eye out for these types of scams and let others know about them.
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