Scam email? Or no?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A merchant received a suspicious email claiming to be from Shopify’s copyright/trademark enforcement unit, threatening legal penalties up to $199,996 for alleged intellectual property violations.

Red flags identified:

  • Sender address uses a Gmail domain (@gmail.com) rather than official Shopify channels
  • Email contains garbled, reversed text at the end (“Shopi”.cnI yfipohS" and similar)
  • Directs recipients to contact another Gmail address for “assistance”
  • Uses high-pressure tactics with threats of immediate financial penalties

Confirmed status: Another community member verified this is a scam and advised not to reply or engage with the sender.

Key takeaway: Legitimate Shopify communications come from official @shopify.com domains, not Gmail accounts. The reversed text and unofficial contact methods are clear indicators of a phishing attempt.

Summarized with AI on November 3. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I received an email from shopifycopyrightlicenseunit@gmail.com

can someone confirm that this email is a scam?

email was :

Dear Shopify Merchant,
We are reaching out to inform you of a report submitted through the “Report a Merchant” (RAM) function on Shopify, which alleges that your store is using intellectual property owned by another store without authorization. This is a violation of Shopify’s Intellectual Property Policy (Section 4.2) and Trademark Usage Terms (Section 9).
This non-compliance will directly lead to legal repercussions, including financial penalties of up to $199,996. It will also significantly impact your store’s compliance status and reputation, resulting in severe consequences for your operations. Immediate action is required to avoid these outcomes and safeguard your business.
Shopify adheres to international trademark standards, aligning with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) regulations and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Failing to address this issue promptly will escalate the situation, potentially causing irreversible damage to your store’s standing.
For assistance in securing the necessary trademark license, we encourage you to reach out to the USPTO via email at tmereguspto.gov@gmail.com. Their team can provide tailored guidance in navigating the process.

We urge you to respond as soon as possible so that we can assist in resolving this matter and ensuring your store remains compliant. Delaying the resolution will increase the risk of permanent penalties to your account.

Best regards,
Trademark Infringement Unit

Shopify Support Team
Shopify Inc.“

2

Hello @Mara10 ,

It’s a scam don’t reply to them and mark them as spam.

Thanks