Author Topic: Strange Email about My Image (Read 15025 times)

angelawaye · « **on:** November 29, 2016, 12:07 »

Hi everyone,
I'm flipping out right now and wonder what the heck is going on.

I got a "donotreply" email notification from FAA with a message about one of my images on SS. It says:
"I'm contacting you in concern with this image on shutterstock which we believe and have full evidence to be taken from us,so I'm asking you to take it down as soon as possible or we will be taken legal action against you in the state of NY".

It was from a hotmail address too...

I don't understand! I made this in Photoshop with a layer mask years ago. All the photos are of me, husband and my kids!

Are they trying to hack my account? I'm very worried. Are "add icons" copyrighted? It is on the keyboard - is the word "friends" copyrighted? Should I just delete it so they don't cause me problems. It doesn't even sell that much.

There was no mention of a business name or anything and I'm very worried. I responded to them and said the image is mine and to clarify the problem.

Any advice?

angelawaye · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:09 »

I also did a google image search on my image and can't find anything else or similar. I'm so worried... Why are they saying this?

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:13 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:07

It was from a hotmail address too...

Ignore it.

Giveme5 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:13 »

ignore the do not reply and reply to them since this is a major threat to you and your business. Write to them what you told us. Worst case you remove it without much monetary loss...

CJH · « **Reply #4 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:17 »

This doesn't sound legit at all. I agree-respond to FAA, not the hotmail address. If it is not from them, I am sure they would want to find out who sent it and take action. I would also check their site to see if someone there has stolen the image from you.

angelawaye · « **Reply #5 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:17 »

I did reply to them at the hotmail account with this and waiting anxiously to their response:

"Hello,

I received an email through you via Fineartamerica the image 100963174
I created this image in Photoshop - those faces are of me and my family - they do not belong to anyone. I own copyright.
Is someone else claiming my own work as there own? Please advise.
Thank you."

They haven't responded yet. I don't have time for this crap! I have the photoshop file and all the images so it is easy to prove but I don't want a headache over this...

ShadySue · « **Reply #6 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:18 »

I'd probably have ignored them as it's such a blatant lie, and I'd have presumed it was some sort of email scam.
The onus is presumably on them to 'prove' their allegation. I'd contact SS in case they try to get your portfolio taken down and FAA to keep them in the loop.
I'm sure others will have more useful advice from experience.
It would be great if they were stopped - there must be some sort of scam going on.
Good luck, try not to worry, but that's easier said than done.

angelawaye · « **Reply #7 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:22 »

Thank you for your responses.

I never give out my email address and after I sent them a message directly, I realized they may have been trying to gain access of my email to login or something? It seemed so specific because they gave me a file number but maybe that is what "they" do ...

CJH · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:23 »

I would contact FAA here http://fineartamerica.com/contactus.html?tab=contactus to be sure it gets to the right people.

angelawaye · « **Reply #9 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:26 »

The strange thing is, when I login to FAA I don't see the message but it was from "[email protected]"

I will definitely contact FAA.

cathyslife · « **Reply #10 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:28 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:17

I did reply to them at the hotmail account with this and waiting anxiously to their response:

"Hello,

I received an email through you via Fineartamerica the image 100963174
I created this image in Photoshop - those faces are of me and my family - they do not belong to anyone. I own copyright.
Is someone else claiming my own work as there own? Please advise.
Thank you."

They haven't responded yet. I don't have time for this crap! I have the photoshop file and all the images so it is easy to prove but I don't want a headache over this...

It could be a phishing scam. Hopefully it won't cause any harm to your computer or account.

As a rule of thumb, if I get an email asking for info or accusing me of something, I will go directly to that persons/companys website and respond, or go to their site, get their phone number, and call them directly. There are too many nasty, dishonest people out there nowadays.

Fingers crossed it doesn't cause a hassle.

ShadySue · « **Reply #11 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:30 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:26

The strange thing is, when I login to FAA I don't see the message but it was from "[email protected]"

I will definitely contact FAA.

I got one of these a couple of months ago, but it was genuine. One of my and my late husband's former students found and contacted me via FAA just after my husband died. (I'm sure there were easier ways to find me, including in the Phone Book!) He said he didn't get my email address until I had replied to him.

Dog-maDe-sign · « **Reply #12 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:34 »

I'm asking: in which way FAA can contact you via email without you gave it to them? from a hotmail account!!
May be FAA do not know nothing about this email...
A strange case of phishing from a fake noreply

not a great thing reply to hotmail address

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:38 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:26

The strange thing is, when I login to FAA I don't see the message but it was from "[email protected]"

I will definitely contact FAA.

That's the way contacts from FAA customers come through - I've had several of those. The first few lines should be "From: [name] and their e-mail address". The FAA user doesn't get your e-mail unless you reply to them.

If you don't have a throwaway e-mail account to use when replying to questionable things of this sort, you might want to get one for the future.

angelawaye · « **Reply #14 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:38 »

I know - I feel so STUPID replying to the hotmail but I was very scared in the moment.

I should have gone for a walk before replying ...

ShadySue · « **Reply #15 on:** November 29, 2016, 12:42 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:38

I know - I feel so STUPID replying to the hotmail but I was very scared in the moment.

I should have gone for a walk before replying ...

I understand. You do get shocked into a kneejerk reaction when faced with such an accusation.

DallasP · « **Reply #16 on:** November 29, 2016, 13:53 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:26

The strange thing is, when I login to FAA I don't see the message but it was from "[email protected]"

I will definitely contact FAA.

Just because it says that was the sending address doesn't mean that's actually where it was sent from. If you dig around in the message headers I'd be willing to guess that it's just third-world spam and can be safely ignored.

stockastic · « **Reply #17 on:** November 29, 2016, 15:02 »

I'd say forget about it. It isn't even in correct English, and it's also 100% generic, not specific to you or your image. Just another idiotic scammer.

Kamran · « **Reply #18 on:** November 30, 2016, 00:39 »

It looks phishing scam email. Hacker normally spoof sender address, which appear legitimate.
Once I received scam email identical to skrill in which they are asking for logging and changing my password. The sender address appear legimate but it was random phishing scam.

1. Skrill always address with first name and last name but scan contain only my email address name

2. I looked into page source (html code) and found hacker address

3. Just for experimenting, I clicked on login link from within email, which lead me to fake skrill login page www.skrll.com/login. I observed URL address closely and it was WWW.SKRLL.COM (skrill without i). Anyway I entered dummy username/password for skrill and it login without any problem.

Don't worry about such scam/phishing email. Instead replying to these email, contact website through CONTACT US link

Good explanation about email address spoofing
http://www.howtogeek.com/121532/htg-explains-how-scammers-forge-email-addresses-and-how-you-can-tell/

Dodie · « **Reply #19 on:** November 30, 2016, 04:40 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 29, 2016, 12:22

Thank you for your responses.

I never give out my email address and after I sent them a message directly, I realized they may have been trying to gain access of my email to login or something? It seemed so specific because they gave me a file number but maybe that is what "they" do ...

It's too late now but you should never give out a "good" email address. I have a free email account on mail.com it lets you create 10+ aliases to throw them away when no more needed. You should try it too for future events.

angelawaye · « **Reply #20 on:** November 30, 2016, 08:12 »

Well, they responded and this is what they said:

"Sorry if you get me wrong that logo no the picture /image was stolen from us and we have full proof as to where you get it from ,so I'm asking you again to take it down or the next step is going to legal action 2 days"

I don't get it, "full proof"? I bet they are foreign so if they take legal action wouldn't they have to come where I am? They still haven't shown me their example or let me know the business name. It all seems so strange.

Maybe I should just delete it....

cobalt · « **Reply #21 on:** November 30, 2016, 08:20 »

I would simply deny all allegations and tell them you are waiting for their "proof". And that you reserve the right to countersue for slander or any damages that occur to your business.

Most importantly i would contact FAA and SS. So that you write to them first.

Maybe they are trying this scam on many other artists and only FAA and SS can catch who is behind this.

angelawaye · « **Reply #22 on:** November 30, 2016, 08:26 »

Counter-suing would mean I need to come up with a retainer for a lawyer and the way SS is going, I am making pennies.

ShadySue · « **Reply #23 on:** November 30, 2016, 08:58 »

Quote from: angelawaye on November 30, 2016, 08:26

Counter-suing would mean I need to come up with a retainer for a lawyer and the way SS is going, I am making pennies.

Again, easier said than done, but hold your nerve. They have no possible leg to stand on. After you've informed SS and FAA try to forget about it. It would be nice to think that SS or FAA would take action against them, as they are no doubt blanket- threatening several producers simultaneously in the hope of scaring some poor soul with not even the emotional backup of msg. However, I suspect that's just wishful thinking.

Chichikov · « **Reply #24 on:** November 30, 2016, 09:01 »

Sue them because they are using your image without your authorization, and because they blackmail you!

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Author Topic: Strange Email about My Image (Read 15025 times)

angelawaye

angelawaye

Sean Locke Photography

Giveme5

CJH

angelawaye

ShadySue

angelawaye

CJH

angelawaye

cathyslife

ShadySue

Dog-maDe-sign

Jo Ann Snover

angelawaye

ShadySue

DallasP

stockastic

Kamran

Dodie

angelawaye

cobalt

angelawaye

ShadySue

Chichikov

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