How to spot email impersonation scams — and why checking the sender’s address is important
Introduction
This isn’t a blog post I ever expected to write — but it’s one I feel strongly that I need to.
Since 20 April 2026, someone has been using a fake email account to impersonate me, Sasha Mitchell, and my business Chell Web & Design. They have been contacting my clients, prospects, and contacts — people who trust my name — to fraudulently solicit money.
I want to be completely transparent about what has happened, what I have done about it, and most importantly, how you can protect yourself from this type of scam — because it is far more common than most people realise.
What Happened
On 21 April 2026 I was contacted by a client who had received an email appearing to come from me, offering a free “website compliance check.” The email used my full name, job title, and business name — Chell Web & Design — and looked, at first glance, entirely legitimate.
It wasn’t from me.
The email had been sent from hello.chellwebdesign@gmail.com — a fraudulent Gmail account created by an unknown third party to impersonate my business. My real, email address is sasha@chellwebdesign.com OR hello@chellwebdesign.com.
The scam escalated quickly. Recipients who replied received follow-up emails claiming their website had critical accessibility violations and was at risk of being disabled by search engines, blocked by browsers, and taken offline by hosting providers. A deadline of 5 May 2026 was given, and a payment of $300 USD was demanded to fix these fabricated issues.
None of this is real. None of it came from me.
I have since confirmed that multiple clients and contacts received these emails. I have reported the fraudulent account to Google, filed a report with Action Fraud (crime reference: RF26040209791C), and taken every step available to me to have the account shut down.
Always Check The Sender Email
Here is what I want every single person reading this to take away — whether you are a client of mine or not.
Always check the sender’s full email address. Not just the name. The address.
Scammers rely on the fact that most email clients — on mobile especially — display only the sender’s name by default. So an email from hello.chellwebdesign@gmail.com displays as “Chell Web & Design” in your inbox. It looks real. It feels real. But the moment you tap or click on that name to reveal the full address, the deception falls apart.
Here is how to check on the most common platforms:
- Gmail (mobile): Tap the sender’s name at the top of the email. The full address will appear beneath it.
- Gmail (desktop): Hover over or click the sender’s name. A pop-up will show the full email address.
- Outlook (mobile): Tap the sender’s name. The full address appears below it.
- Outlook (desktop): Click the sender’s name to expand the full details.
- Apple Mail (iPhone): Tap the “From” field at the top of the email.
The rule is simple: if an email asks you to do anything — click a link, reply, make a payment, grant access — check the full sending address first. Every time. No exceptions. A legitimate business will always email you from their own domain. In my case, every email from me will end in @chellwebdesign.com. Not @gmail.com. Not @yahoo.com. Not any variation of my business name on a free email platform.
Other Red Flags to Watch For
Beyond the email address, here are the warning signs that should make you pause before responding to any email:
- Urgency and deadlines — “Act now or your site will be taken offline”
- Fear tactics — threats of legal action, fines, or service suspension
- Vague but alarming technical language — “compliance failures,” “accessibility violations,” “critical errors”
- Payment requested in USD when the business is UK-based
- A discounted price that creates a false sense of a deal
- A request to “confirm permission” without a formal contract or invoice
- Follow-up emails that escalate in urgency if you don’t respond
If any of these appear in an email claiming to be from me — or from any business you work with — pick up the phone and call them directly before taking any action.
What to Do If You Received This Email
If you received an email from hello.chellwebdesign@gmail.com:
- Do not click any links or make any payment
- Mark the email as phishing in your email client
- Report the fraudulent account to Google at: support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse
- If you have already replied or made a payment, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk
- Notify me of this email and forward it to me – I am collecting evidence to get this scammer shut down
A Final Note
I am deeply sorry that my clients and contacts have been targeted in this way. It is violating, frustrating, and not something any small business owner should have to deal with. I want to thank everyone who got in touch to flag it — you helped me act quickly and potentially protected others from financial loss.
I will continue to monitor this situation and post updates here if anything changes.
If you are ever unsure whether an email has come from me, please do not hesitate to get in touch directly at sasha@chellwebdesign.com or call me on 07725 721 492.
Stay safe out there.
Sasha Mitchell
