We received this email yesterday from our contact page.
Name: Mel
Email:Mgallery161@aol.com
Website:http://trapmul
Message: Hi,
This is Melika and I am a professional photographer.
I was discouraged, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my consent, you should be aware that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s unlawful to use stolen images and it’s so nasty!
Take a look at this document with the links to my images you used at wattsupwiththat.com and my earlier publications to get evidence of my legal copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
[nasty malware excel macro-enabled file link in email removed to protect our audience]
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I’ll write a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
FYI, the email address in the note above is invalid, which is why it is not redacted.
Checking the link and doing a bit of research, Anthony found this:
And this article entitled: The Contact Dermatitis and Clothing Connection, at cottonique.com
Which included the following message in the comments.
Moral of the story. Careful what you click on. Sometimes they ARE out to get you- with malware disguised as a lawsuit threat.
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My site had a similar message. I sent it to ScamWatch
https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
We always look for pictures in the open domain before publishing.
Recently I was sent one that advised that a whole lot of scammers had been caught and the IMF was sending me $US 850000, all I had do is click on the link.
If the US does not have a Scamwatch it would be worth setting one up.
With AI now the scammers are more organised.
My theory is that rather than deleting first, I send the scammers to scamwatch and then delete.
This means that group will eventually leave me alone, if their AI is any good.
Luckily, most of the criminals are not good at writing letters. The wording of scams is typically very amateurish, alerting the BS meters.
If in doubt, I will put the name of an organisation and “scam “on the browser as a quick check.
For phone based scams, I go to reverse Australia. Enter the number and it will often be reported as a scam. Then block it on the phone.
I once had such a scam number ringing all day via a phone diverted to my phone-over 35 times during the day, interrupting my work-completely bogged my message bank. One time though when I was thinking of ignoring it, the call was from a senior member of Parliament-a call I had been hanging out for. Luckily the patient in the chair was also a fan of the said political figure and it was time for a break anyway.
When you have so many people in lockdown with no work, this type of thing would be expected.
They are like locusts.
Any image that is published on the web is free and fair game IMO. As long as you are not claiming it to be yours or making money from it. But is AOL still a thing?
Publishing it, even on the web, does not negate copyright. Enforcing copyright on the web, on the other hand, is pretty much a game of whack the mole. Scammers see that and view it as an opportunity to scam.
Hmmm….now I wonder which Marxist tossers that could be?
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/foreign-government-behind-major-cyber-attack-on-australian-governments-and-business-believed-to-be-china/ar-BB15GqU8
Yes, it looks like the Chicoms are trying to make an example out of Austrailia.
Let’s make sure the Chicoms learn they can’t intimidate Australia. I think Trump is more than willing to help in this endeavor.
The other nations in the region should be helping Australia, too, because they are going to be the next on the Chicom’s list, if they don’t.
Thanks for the heads up on the scam.
I’ve seen the same images on public domain image sites that one has to pay for elsewhere. Not sure if someone is using the free photos for profit or what. I’ve posted a few freebies myself. I try to use my own pics or public domain images – those from the DNR, National Parks, etc.
Mind you I think the snowflake generation should stick to sexting which will please the zero population crowd no doubt-
https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/man-sues-date-for-236-000-after-horrible-first-kiss/ar-BB15x41p
If this keeps up the grandkiddies aren’t going to know what snowflakes means but a glimmer of light appears down under-
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-19/university-fees-tertiary-education-overhaul-course-costs/12367742
Screw the usual suspects ScoMo.