Is this email from risk-management@shopify.com legitimate?

Topic summary

Legitimacy of emails from risk-management@shopify.com: Confirmed by a Shopify staff member (Trust & Safety). These notices are triggered when systems detect potentially unauthorized branded/trademarked items and include an attestation form to complete by the stated deadline.

Required actions and timelines:

  • Fill out the attestation form (options include removing items, proving authorization, or indicating “I sell used authentic products”).
  • Reply to the email for clarification; Trust & Safety (T&S) may take 2–3 business days to respond.
  • Failure to comply may lead to account closure to prevent further sales.

Platform vs. Shopify Payments:

  • Platform may allow sale of trademarked items if compliant with Acceptable Use and not illegally obtained; however, Shopify Payments can restrict “high-risk” items (luxury/brand-name) due to chargeback/fraud risk.
  • Alternatives like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.net can be used if Shopify Payments is unavailable.

Outcomes reported:

  • Some merchants removed borderline items and continued without payment holds.
  • Others replied; some were told no further action was required.

Concerns and suggestions:

  • An InfoSec professional flagged the email format as spear-phishing-like and urged Shopify to place notices in Admin and send linkless alerts.

Status: Active/ongoing; merchants should complete the attestation and seek legal advice if needed.

Summarized with AI on December 21. AI used: gpt-5.

@HotHeadstalls I received this email this morning as well. I was panic and submitted the attestation a few times. I’m just wondering how did your goes?