Is this message from a claimed expert in ecommerce a scam?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A store owner received an unsolicited message from someone claiming to be a Shopify expert offering sales assistance. Red flags include:

Warning Signs Identified:

  • Person not listed on official Shopify Expert marketplace
  • Poor English quality despite claiming Chicago, IL location
  • Unsolicited contact through store chat feature
  • Screenshots show suspicious messaging patterns

Community Guidance:

  • Only hire through the official Shopify Expert Page (experts.shopify.com)
  • Be cautious of anyone reaching out via store chat or contact forms
  • Verify credentials: professional profile picture, clear bio, verifiable portfolio

Additional Reports:

  • Other users confirmed receiving similar messages from “Leon Felix” and “Mathias A Ekundayo”
  • Pattern suggests coordinated scam attempts

Consensus: This appears to be a scam. Legitimate Shopify experts don’t typically cold-contact store owners, and the lack of official marketplace listing combined with poor communication quality are major red flags.

Summarized with AI on October 26. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
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I received a message from a person claiming to be a shopify expert, wanting to offer his services to help gain sales.

I can’t find him on the Shopify Expert list and the conversation seems suspicious, a lot of broken English for someone claiming to be in Chicago IL. Is this a scam or an actua

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l Shopify Expert?

1 Like
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Hi @E-Atkinson ,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community! I’m happy to provide some assistance with this request, to ensure it gets resolved.

When it comes to hiring expert help, you will want to head over to our Shopify Expert Page. This is our only available list of trusted third-party agencies and freelancers that will help build your shop. Here is also where you will connect with our Experts to ensure they are right for your shops needs. To learn more, you can check out our Expert Marketplace as it touches on this further.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

3

Hi @E-Atkinson ,

The way he uses the word Shopify expert might have two meaning. He could be saying he is an expert when it comes to Shopify. But yes, Shopify Expert uses the same name for the paid developers in their marketplace. Anyway, I would think twice if someone tries to contact you using your store chat feature or website contact form.

4

I have also received a similar email from this Leon Felix today and another person
called Mathias A Ekundayo. It appears both are scammers

5

Hey @E-Atkinson,
Thanks for Bringing this Question to Shopify community.
I just take a look to the chat and found that the person name by David Charle don’t have Profile picture. This is the solid sign of scammer. A experienced Shopify developer always use a professional profile picture.
If you could receive any other messages who claim that they are Shopify Developer then these things you must need to keep in mind.

  • The specific person should have professional Profile picture.
  • Make sure read his bio and in the Bio it should clearly write about his service mean no fluff.
  • Make sure ask for his portfolio and previous projects and verify it.
    By following these steps you can ensure to find the trustworthy Shopify developers.