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Header image source Pixabay
This post contains cited sources from the following:
DMCA.com I use the free service for copyright violations. I have also cited CleanTalk.org anti-spam and security. I also listed an article from Intego
I was just browsing my Contact Pal notices and came across a rather familiar scam. It scared me for a second but as I read it I knew it was a fake.
How I found the email
Being that I use CleanTalk on my website it filters out my contact us emails if they suspect it’s spam. So I have a log I can go through to see what’s legit and what’s spam. Lately, It’s been all spam.
You can read the email messages. I had a message yesterday that started out like it would be legit but quickly took a turn.
The email
The email was pretty straightforward and included a few links from my website. The sender claimed to be named Galen Ackerman. From the following email address: galen.ackerman@yahoo.com
The email stated that I was using their images without their consent. They threw in the DMCA takedown threat if I didn’t comply.
If you don’t know what DMCA is you can learn more here.
The odd thing was that the links they cited were my home page, Contact Pal, and another random blog post page.
Here is the email text.
Dear https://lifewithpal.com, I trust this letter finds you. I am writing to address a matter of serious concern regarding the unauthorized commercial use of my copyrighted images, which were discovered on your website without my explicit consent (page titled ” Home – Life with Pal ” ). Upon investigation, I have identified that my images are being used for commercial purposes on your platform without proper licensing or attribution. This constitutes a clear infringement of my intellectual property rights as the sole copyright holder of these works. I have also noticed that my images are being used on your social media profiles, notably: Twitter The unauthorized use of my images has caused significant damage to my professional reputation and financial losses. I have consulted with legal counsel, and I am prepared to pursue all available legal remedies to protect my rights, including initiating a formal legal action and filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice. However, in an effort to resolve this matter amicably and avoid protracted legal proceedings, I am willing to settle the dispute immediately upon receiving a payment of $500. This settlement amount is a fraction of the damages I have incurred due to the unauthorized use of my work. Please note that failure to comply with this demand within 14 days, will leave me with no alternative but to pursue legal action against you. In such an event, I will seek maximum damages under the law, as well as injunctive relief to prevent any further unauthorized use of my images. To facilitate a prompt resolution, kindly remit the settlement amount to any of the following wallets: Bitcoin: bc1q4206tlzgldnr3efu44hf9m6qm329ztzxhqfxdw Ethereum: 0xa74cce7805342F10df39B698342380f58bB709b5 Upon receipt of the payment, I will consider the matter resolved, and I will refrain from initiating any legal actions against you. Failure to comply will result in immediate legal proceedings. I urge you to treat this matter with the utmost urgency, as further delays may exacerbate the consequences you may face. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. Please note that I have also sent out a hardcopy of this correspondence to your office. Sincerely, Galen Ackerman Lange Strasse 67, Neubiberg, 85579, BY, Germany, 089 28 38 54
DMCA Scam Email Text
Oddly enough this person insists I’m using their images on Twitter. Yet they never outline the image or images that are being used without permission.
The Bitcoin request
It’s odd if you are threatening someone to remove your images from your website with a DMCA takedown in one sentence to suddenly request a Bitcoin payment of no less than $500 (USD) This was when I knew it was a scam. How did this magic number come about?
Since not once was an image reference besides being used on my homepage, Contact Pal, and Twitter. Yet again there wasn’t a source saying your home page header image is similar to mine or something similar.
Yet this person can quickly throw out the figure of paying me $500 to forget about this DMCA violation.
They requested Bitcoin or Ethereum.
This reminds me of the Sextortion emails that they used to send out. Those claimed they had private videos of you. The threat was that these videos would be sent out to family and friends if you didn’t pay up.
The Bitcoin Sextortion Email is back again.
This is a newer scam
I found out about this scam by doing a quick Google search. I found a post on Intego.com from December sharing about the scam.
New email scam targets blogs, threatens DMCA takedown claiming illegal image use
Things that struck me about this scam
The first thing I thought was odd was that the person kept referring to image usage but never stated the actual image. The next was of course the Bitcoin payment request.
The final thing was why would someone request a Bitcoin payment claiming to be in the United States but leave a German address at the end of the email?
I tried to do a Google search for the address and didn’t find much aside from the City in Germany.
I have a feeling this will expand
Currently, this seems to be targeting Bloggers but I have a feeling this will soon expand to other media platforms.
All you can do is block the email address and delete it. Don’t reply and please don’t pay them in crypto currency.
