Fraudsters will sometimes send fake emails that impersonate legitimate websites. These ‘phishing’ or ‘spoofing’ scams are created with the intention of gaining access to your private information, such as login credentials or credit card details.
It’s extremely important to be cautious when sharing your private details online. If you receive an email which appears to be coming from 99designs, please take extra care when responding to the email or following any links inside of it.
Here are a couple of things to check when you receive an email from 99designs:
- Carefully review the sender’s email address. The email address is legitimate if it ends in one of these three domains:
- @99designs.com
- @99designs.zendesk.com
- @email.99designs.com
If the email does not end in one of the above domains, it is likely a scam.
- If you click a link that was sent in the email, make sure the link takes you to 99designs.com (or one of our confirmed local domains), and that you see a padlock icon in the address bar, confirming the web page is secure. If a link takes you to a different website or a website pretending to be 99designs, do not enter any of your details, close the page, and report it to us immediately.
Here are a few common characteristics of fake emails:
- The copy is sometimes poorly written: it’s not unusual to find blatant grammatical errors.
- Fake emails often sound urgent and demand immediate action. They threaten harsh outcomes (such as a banned account or closed contest) if you do not quickly do what is asked.
- Scammers may ask you to respond to the email with personal information, such as credit card details or your password. 99designs will never ask you to send private details such as these via email.
- If you receive an email which looks like it’s from 99designs but you never created an account with us, the email is likely a scam. Do not send any information or follow any links within the email.
People who attempt phishing or spoofing scams look for users who list their email addresses publicly. Please don’t list your email address or other contact details in public spaces for this reason.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable entering your private details from a link you’ve received via email, you can always type ‘https://www.99designs.com’ into your browser and start directly from our website. Here’s a direct link to our contact details.
If you receive a suspicious email or have been linked to a site pretending to be 99designs, report it immediately to payments@99designs.com. Please send a short introduction and forward or attach all details in your email to us. We’ll investigate as soon as possible.