Copyright-Strike 'Appeal Here' Credential Phish
A fake 'copyright strike' notice pressures creators to appeal through a link that steals their account login and two-factor code.
Think a message like this reached you? You can check it right now.
What this scam is
Content creators and businesses receive urgent notices that they've received a copyright strike or infringement complaint and must appeal or verify within a deadline to avoid losing their channel/account. The appeal link is a phishing page that captures credentials and 2FA, enabling account takeover. Because creators fear losing their platforms and income, they act fast. Real copyright notices appear inside the platform's official dashboard, not via a link demanding your password.
What it usually looks like
- A 'copyright strike/infringement' notice with an appeal deadline.
- An 'appeal/verify' link to a fake login.
- Threats to remove your channel/account.
- A prompt for your 2FA code.
Common warning signs
- Appeal links to non-official sites.
- Urgency about losing your channel/account.
- Requests for login and 2FA.
- Sender addresses that aren't the real platform.
Example wording scammers use
“You've received a copyright strike. Appeal within 48 hours or your channel will be terminated: appeal-copyright-review.net”
“Infringement complaint filed — verify your account to dispute it.”
These are illustrative examples written by ScamSplain, not real messages.
What the scammers want
- Your account login and 2FA code.
- To take over creator accounts.
- To monetize or ransom the account.
What to do
- Check strikes only in the platform's official Studio/dashboard.
- Don't use appeal links or enter credentials from them.
- Enable app-based two-factor and review sessions.
- Report the phishing attempt.
What to do if you already responded
- Change your password, revoke sessions, and check account access.
- Use official account recovery if locked out.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.