Over the past few days, we have been informed by some of our clients that they received suspicious emails from an address attempting to imitate our name and create the impression that the messages were sent by Pavels.
We believe it is important to publish this warning so that all our clients and collaborators know how to identify these messages correctly and how to react if they receive a similar email.
Important warning regarding fake emails sent in our name
The email address used in this impersonation attempt is codrin.pavels.ro@gmail.com. This address does not belong to us, is not managed by us, and should not be considered an official Pavels contact address.
The person using this address appears to be trying to contact clients or collaborators by using an identity similar to our name, with the purpose of creating confusion and gaining trust in a fraudulent way.
What happened
Based on the information we have so far, the emails were sent to some of the clients whose projects are listed in our portfolio and whose email addresses are publicly visible on their websites.
It is important to note that these messages do not come from us, even if the name, photo, or signature used may appear similar to the real ones.
How we communicate with our clients
We keep in touch with our clients through the email addresses we initially used in our conversations, directly on WhatsApp, or by phone, depending on the communication method established with each client.
If you receive an email from a new, unknown, or different address than the one previously used in our conversations, please do not reply before verifying the authenticity of the message.
We will also never request sensitive data, account access, passwords, banking information, or the creation of new administrator users on your website through an email sent from an unknown address.
How to check if an email is legitimate
If you receive an email that appears to come from us, but the sender address is not one you have previously communicated with, we recommend carefully checking the following:
- Check the full email address: do not rely only on the displayed sender name. A name can be copied very easily, but the real email address often reveals the impersonation attempt.
- Compare the address with previous conversations: if it is not the same address we have used before, treat the message with caution.
- Do not open suspicious links: avoid opening links, attachments, or documents received from unknown addresses.
- Do not provide website access: do not create new users, send passwords, or provide access to your admin panel without direct confirmation from us.
- Confirm directly with us: if you have any doubts, contact us through the channel we have already used before, on WhatsApp, or by phone.
What to do if you receive such an email
If you receive a message from codrin.pavels.ro@gmail.com or from any other address that appears to imitate us, please do not reply and do not follow the instructions in that email.
The safest action is to report the email as spam or phishing directly from the email service you are using. In Gmail, you can use the “Report spam” or “Report phishing” options.
If you have already interacted with such a message or provided access to your website, we recommend immediately checking the existing users in WordPress, changing the relevant passwords, and contacting us for an additional review.
We have reported the issue to Google
We have also reported this issue to Google and hope the situation will be reviewed as soon as possible, and that the account used for this impersonation attempt will be blocked.
Until the situation is resolved, our recommendation is to carefully check any email received from new addresses, even if the displayed name looks familiar.
Conclusion
We are sorry for any confusion or inconvenience caused by this situation. The security of our communication with clients is very important to us, which is why we considered it necessary to publish this warning.
If you receive a suspicious email that appears to come from Pavels, always check the sender address and confirm directly with us through the communication channels we have used before.
Thank you for your attention and support.
