Description

The email is a fraudulent message impersonating Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, a well-known U.S. law firm. It falsely claims to represent Universal Music Group (UMG) in a copyright infringement matter regarding the alleged unauthorized use of Lewis Capaldi’s song “Someone You Loved” on a Facebook "Fanpage". The email is styled to look like a formal “Final Legal Notice Prior to International Litigation” and contains fabricated legal references, case citations, and deadlines. It alleges that a 45-second clip of the song was used without permission on a Facebook video, that a prior removal request was ignored, and that the recipient must remove the video within 72 hours, send confirmation to a provided email, and promise not to infringe again. The email further threatens statutory damages of up to $50,000 per work under U.S. copyright law, litigation in U.S. federal court, and DMCA takedown requests to Meta that could result in account termination. The message uses urgent language, intimidation, and legal jargon to pressure the recipient into compliance. It provides a spoofed contact email ([email protected]) and lists the firm’s actual address and phone number to appear legitimate. In reality, this is a scam email designed to impersonate a law firm and coerce the recipient into responding, likely as part of a phishing attempt to obtain personal or organizational information.