Recently a few of our clients started getting these emails. Businesses throughout Lafayette, LA and the U.S. are getting these.

The name is always different, but for some reason always starts with an 'M'. This is a scam! Don't click the link and don't worry about the message.

Melphotographer433@hotmail.com

I've not given you any rights to use my images for <yourwebsitename> without my license! It's illegitimate! It's a disruption to my rights! You must get rid of my images right away!...

Hello there!
This is Melaenis and I am a qualified illustrator.

I was confused, to put it nicely, when I saw my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner's license, you must be aware that you could be sued by the copyright holder.

It's against the law to use stolen images and it's so сheap!

Check out this document with the links to my images you used at <yourwebsitename> and my earlier publications to get the evidence of my ownership.

Download it now and check this out for yourself:

<link redacted> 

If you don't remove the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I'll file a to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely 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 you won't receive the second notice from me.