This is a public service announcement to small businesses with websites and to our clients.
Many have reached out to us, startled and concerned about threatening messages sent to them via their website’s contact form.
The majority of these threats accuse your website of using un-licensed photography or images, and threaten legal action.
Rest assured ALL websites and digital properties by Clear Imaging are either:
- Licensed stock photography from reputable stock photography companies, or
- Photos taken by our clients.
A quick search on Google for ‘mel photographer spam’ will shed light on this, and you will see examples of the exact message that you were sent (if one was sent to you).
How can you prevent getting deceived by such messages in the future?
If you look critically at the words of choice by these spammers they give themselves away:
- They are not specific in regards to what photo violated the terms. They cannot be specific, they must use broad generalities because their message needs to apply to thousands of websites.
- They use strong and unusual emotional words like ‘disgusting’ or ‘nasty’, designed to make you react.
- They make vicious threats that most normal people would not make right off the bat.
- They give themselves away with odd job titles like: ‘certified photographer’ or ‘certified graphic designer’
You can safely ignore and delete these emails.
If you ever get a suspicious message from your contact forms please reach out to your account manager, and they will help you sort it out.
We are here for you.
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