Scammers sometimes create Gmail accounts or look-alike email addresses and pretend to be me or Upstate SC Web Design. Because fake emails can look surprisingly convincing, I want my clients to know exactly what to look for before replying, clicking a link, or sending a payment.
Don’t just look for my name or something that resembles my business name. Click or tap the sender and check the complete email address carefully. Even one changed, added or missing character can mean the message is not from me.
Don’t rely only on the name you see in your inbox. An email can display “Chad Bernhardt,” “[email protected],” or “Upstate SC Web Design” even though it was sent by someone completely unrelated to me.
Click or tap the sender’s name to reveal the complete email address the message was sent from. Then look carefully at everything after the @ symbol.
Important: The sender’s display name can be ANYTHING: my name, the business name, even my email address. Click on the sender’s name to reveal which email address actually sent the email. Both of the examples below show valid emails from me.
You could receive an email from one that is very similar to mine. Anyone can register a domain that looks almost identical to mine by adding a hyphen, changing one letter, adding an extra letter, or using a different domain ending. They can also create convincing Gmail, iCloud, or Yahoo addresses containing my name or business name.
Below are just a few samples of how email addresses might appear to be from me. There are many other possible email addresses. Always verify that the sender’s actual address ends in @upstatesc.net.
I will only email you from:
Watch for:
If it does not end exactly in @upstatesc.net, do not assume the message came from me.
A scammer can copy information from my website or from a previous email. That means a fraudulent message may contain my name, photo, logo, phone number, website address, colors, email signature, and other business information.
A professional-looking email does not prove that it came from me. The actual sender address is much more important.
Most of my clients have worked directly with me, and you probably have a good idea of how I normally communicate.
If an email claiming to be from me suddenly sounds unusually demanding, urgent, secretive, or completely different from the way I normally communicate with you, that is a reason to stop and verify it.
A scammer may exchange several emails with you while pretending to be me. They may discuss current or future website work to build trust before eventually asking for payment or sensitive information.
I do not normally send emails telling you that you must respond or make a payment within the next 24 hours or within just a few days.
I may occasionally remind you about something that needs your attention or an outstanding invoice, but I do not use threatening or unusually urgent language to pressure clients into responding or paying.
Be especially suspicious of messages saying things such as:
If a message does not sound like something I would normally say, check the sender’s address before doing anything else.
My normal billing practices are another useful way to recognize an unusual or fraudulent request.
For most website updates, maintenance, and smaller projects, I do the work first.
Once the work is completed and you have had an opportunity to review and approve it, I send you an invoice.
I normally do not ask for money upfront for this type of work.
For a brand-new website design, my standard deposit is 30% of the project price to begin the project.
This is the primary situation where you would normally receive a request from me for payment before work has been completed.
If you receive an unexpected email asking you to send money upfront for routine website work, verify the message with me before paying anything.
Be especially careful if an email claims that I have suddenly changed how I accept payment, asks you to send money to another person or bank account, or directs you to use an unfamiliar payment method.
If something about a payment request is different from what you have done with me before, contact me directly before making the payment.
Do not simply reply to the suspicious email asking whether it is legitimate. If the message came from a scammer, you would just be asking the scammer to verify themselves.
All legitimate invoices from Upstate SC Web Design use a secure link beginning with https://my.upstatesc.net, followed by a unique link to your invoice.
After opening the billing portal, click Invoices in the left-hand menu to view invoices you have received and paid over the past year or longer. Seeing your previous invoice history is another helpful way to confirm that the portal and invoice link are legitimate.
The words shown in an email do not necessarily tell you where a link actually goes. A link can say one thing while directing you to an entirely different website.
On a computer, you can usually hover your mouse over a link without clicking it to see the destination.
Be cautious with unexpected links or attachments, especially if the message asks you to log in, verify an account, provide payment information, or take some other urgent action.
If you are unsure, do not use the link in the email. Open your browser and go directly to the website you already know instead.
If you receive an email claiming to be from me and something does not seem right, do not respond, click links, open attachments, or send money until you have verified it.
I would much rather have you contact me to double-check an email than risk responding or sending money to someone pretending to be me.
Remember: My business email should end exactly in @upstatesc.net. A missing letter, extra letter, hyphen, Gmail address, different domain ending, or other small change means you should stop and verify the message.