Scam Alert: Fraudulent Emails Impersonating DP Web Design

We are currently aware of fraudulent emails being sent to DP Web Design clients by people impersonating Danny Poole and DP Web Design.

From the emails that have been supplied to us by clients, this campaign appears to have been operating since at least 8 June 2026 and has continued through July, August and into September.

These emails are not being sent from DP Web Design. The sender has copied publicly available information from our website and other online profiles, including our business name, logo, website address, social media links, photographs and other details in an attempt to make the messages appear genuine.

There is no indication that the DP Web Design website, server or email accounts have been compromised. The information being used appears to have been gathered from publicly available sources.

Fraudulent Email Addresses Identified

So far, we have identified the following fraudulent Gmail addresses being used to impersonate DP Web Design:

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New variations may continue to appear, so clients should not rely solely on the sender's display name, email address, signature or branding when deciding whether a message is genuine.

Genuine DP Web Design correspondence is sent from our @dpwebdesign.com.au domain. However, if a message is unexpected or involves payment, website access, renewals or urgent work, please verify it independently with us using contact details you already know or those published on our official website.

What Are the Fraudulent Emails Saying?

The wording has changed as the campaign has progressed. The messages commonly refer to supposed website maintenance, renewals, security, performance, SEO, WordPress, accessibility or other technical work.

Some messages attempt to create urgency by claiming that action is required to prevent website problems, suspension, loss of functionality or other consequences.

These claims should not be accepted simply because the email contains genuine-looking DP Web Design information.

How the Scam Works

The messages may begin with a general website review, maintenance or renewal request and can become more detailed if the recipient responds.

The sender may then attempt to obtain approval for paid work, issue an invoice, request payment or seek website access details.

The purpose appears to be to establish trust by impersonating DP Web Design before obtaining money, access credentials or other information from the recipient.

Some of the Emails Can Look Very Convincing

These messages are not necessarily obvious spam emails. Some have included genuine information copied from DP Web Design's online presence, including:

• our business name;
• our logo;
• Danny Poole's name and photograph;
• our genuine website address;
• our physical business address;
• links to genuine social media profiles;
• an email signature designed to resemble legitimate DP Web Design correspondence.

The inclusion of genuine business information does not mean that the person sending the email is associated with DP Web Design.

Scammers may also use email addresses, display names or website domains designed to look similar to genuine business details.

Do not rely on appearance alone. If an email involves payment, website access, passwords, renewals or unexpected work, verify the request independently before responding.

What Should You Do If You Receive One?

If you receive an unexpected email claiming to be from DP Web Design:

• Do not reply to the suspicious email.
• Do not click unexpected links or open attachments.
• Do not provide website usernames, passwords or other access details.
• Do not approve or pay an unexpected invoice.
• Do not provide banking or credit card details.
• Contact DP Web Design independently using our normal contact details if you are unsure whether a message is genuine.

Where possible, please forward suspicious messages to us before deleting them or marking them as spam. The original message can provide useful information when identifying and reporting new fraudulent accounts.

Your Website Will Not Suddenly Be Suspended by "WordPress"

One recurring theme in these messages is the suggestion that WordPress or another platform will suspend, disable or take a website offline unless certain work is completed urgently.

There is no general WordPress authority contacting DP Web Design and requiring our clients to purchase SEO, plugin configuration, template licensing, maintenance or other services by arbitrary deadlines.

If legitimate maintenance, hosting, domain renewal or other work is required for your website, it will be communicated through our normal DP Web Design channels.

We Are Continuing to Monitor the Situation

We are continuing to identify and report fraudulent accounts and other impersonation activity as it appears.

Clients should remain vigilant even if the current activity appears to reduce, as new email addresses, names or methods may be used.

The increasing availability of artificial intelligence and other automated tools makes it easier for scammers to create professional-looking emails, gather publicly available information and produce convincing correspondence at scale.

This means impersonation scams can look considerably more professional than the traditional poorly written scam emails people may be accustomed to recognising.

Article updated: 8 September 2026