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Scammers tried to take $700 from a client.

  • Writer: Sarah A. Sherman
    Sarah A. Sherman
  • Nov 10
  • 3 min read

Security Notice. Scammers tried to take $700 from a client.

I JUST got off the phone with a client. One of our sweetest, most genuine clients called in a panic. She had been contacted by someone pretending to be Illustrated Domain. The email looked friendly enough. It offered a “free service.” It even used our business name.

 

But the email wasn’t us. Not even close.


 

Thinking she was working with our team, she granted them access to her Wix account as a co-owner — the highest level of control. Within minutes of getting in, the impersonators took her website offline and demanded $700 to “fix” the problem they created.

 

She tried to send the payment immediately. Thankfully — miraculously — her bank stopped the transaction.

 

We only discovered what was happening because a strange system notification landed in our inbox today. When we checked, we found a fake “Illustrated Domain” user inside her Wix roles with full access to her site. We jumped in, removed the impostor, and helped her secure her account before any further damage could be done.

 

She’s safe now. Her website is back in her hands. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

 

Because if this happened to her — someone thoughtful, bright, careful, and incredibly kind — it could happen to anyone.

 

Scammers no longer look like scammers. They look like us, like real agencies, like trusted partners. They hide behind Gmail accounts and friendly messages and “free services” that are really traps.

 

So I want to be crystal clear:

The only real Illustrated Domain emails end in @illustrateddomain.com

If it doesn’t come from our domain, it is absolutely not us.

 

Any other emails are fake, super not cool, scammers and impersonators. FAKE emails look like:

kingofcodes@gmail.commr.robot.code.94@gmail.com These are several of the email persona that have impersonated our agency or faked partnerships with our agency.

 

If you ever receive an unexpected email that sounds like it’s from us — especially one asking for access, offering surprise discounts, or requesting payment — please pause and call me directly 408-335-7378.Even if it’s 30 seconds. Even if you think it’s probably fine.

 

Your trust means everything to us. Your safety comes first — always.

 

And if this story can help even one person avoid what she went through today, then sharing it is worth it.

 

Stay safe out there, and remember: If it’s not from @illustrateddomain.com, it’s not us.


__________________



Protect Yourself from Fake Partner Emails

We’ve recently identified impersonation emails that misuse our name and falsely suggest partnerships or affiliations that do not exist.

 

Please disregard and delete any message that looks similar to this or requests action you were not expecting.

 

For your security:

• I will never initiate surprise audits, compliance checks, or urgent warnings about your site.• Any legitimate communication from me will come only from this email address: contact@illustrateddomain.com • If you ever receive a message that seems unusual, pressured, or out of character, please forward it to me so I can verify it.

Your trust and safety are my priority. There is no action required on your part at this time, and your website is not at risk.


• If you have questions or want me to confirm anything you’ve received, I’m here and happy to help.

 

To help keep you safe, here are a few steps we recommend:

  • Check the sender’s email address carefully — make sure it matches our official contact information.

  • When in doubt, contact us directly before taking any action. We’re always happy to confirm whether a message is legitimate.

  • Do not click any links or provide information if you suspect the email is fraudulent. Instead, forward the email to us for review.

 

CALL ME DIRECTLY: 408-335-7378 and request a live Zoom.

 

Your security and peace of mind are very important to us, and we want you to feel confident in recognizing these types of scams.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and as always, thank you for trusting us with your website and online needs.

 

Best regards,

Sarah A. Sherman

Founder

Illustrated Domain

o: (408) 335-7378

 
 
 

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