Why am I getting fake Ellacard invitations, and is my Ellacard account affected?
Ellacard FAQ: Why am I getting fake Ellacard invitations, and is my Ellacard account affected? (Troubleshooting / Fake invitations and greeting cards)
If you received a fake invitation, it likely means your email address has been exposed, but not necessarily anything else. Depending on the sender of the fake invitation, you can get a sense of how much additional information has been exposed and how.If the fake invite was emailed to you from someone you know
When a personal contact of yours emails you a fake invitation, it usually means their email account has been hacked. Someone has broken into their email address, and has access to their email contacts and all prior conversations. If this occurs, check that you haven’t shared sensitive data with the sender in the past via email, and then let them know by phone or text (not email) that their account has been hacked, and share our guide on what to do. How scammers create a fake invitation It is quick and easy, and usually takes just three steps 1 Build a real invitation Genuine artwork and formatting, so the email looks real 2 Swap the links The buttons now lead to their own malicious website 3 Send it out Often from a hacked personal email to its whole contact listIf the invite came from an address you don’t recognize
If you received a fake invitation from an email address that you do not recognize, then your email address was most likely leaked, shared, or resold by a company that has access to it. Email addresses are near impossible to keep from being exposed, but the good news is that as long as the scammers have nothing more than your address, there is little they can do aside from sending spam or phishing emails. If you receive a fake invite this way, run your browser’s or password manager’s compromised-password check. Chrome, Safari and most password managers flag accounts caught in known breaches. Change those passwords to prevent further damage.Your Ellacard account is safe
If the fake invitation uses Ellacard branding, that does not mean your Ellacard account has been breached. Ellacard uses passwordless login, so the only way into your account is through your email account itself. Additionally, we never sell or share our users’ email addresses. Scammers only use Ellacard’s images to make the invitation look genuine. If you have an account, your orders, contacts and payment details have not been exposed. If you don’t have one, there is nothing you need to do. If you think your Ellacard account has been used by someone else, email fraud@ellacard.com and we will check.Related articles
- Not sure whether a card you received is real? Paste its link into the link checker in How do I know the Ellacard greeting card or invitation I received is real and not spam / malware?
- Received a fake? Read What should I do if I received a fake Ellacard invitation or greeting card?
- Fakes are being sent from your own email address? Read Fake Ellacard invitations or greeting cards were sent from my email address – what should I do?
- Want the full picture, including how the same scam targets other invitation services? Read our guide: How to spot a fake invitation scam and check any invite link