1-888-553-8776
Marina Lippincott
What’s Happening
An offshore group is sending phishing emails to BigCommerce merchants using the Gmail address info.makdigitaldesign.com@gmail.com, deliberately crafted to look like an official MAK Digital Design email. The emails carry the subject line “Verify Your BigCommerce Store to Avoid Service Disruptions” and use scare tactics to pressure store owners into engaging.
Once the scammer gains a merchant’s trust through an extended email exchange, they invoice the victim for fraudulent “services” through the payment platform Endow (getendow.com) under the account name “Velokoders Service.”
We have confirmed at least one victim who exchanged over 19 emails with this scammer, believing the entire time they were communicating with our company.
Who Is Behind This
Through email header analysis and cross-referencing of accounts across multiple platforms, we have identified the operation behind this scam. They operate under multiple names.
Identified Contact Information
americanvelocoders@gmail.comPhone #1+1-209-674-5092Phone #2+1-760-486-2571Listed Address8854 Orange Street, Hesperia, California 92345Scam Emailinfo.makdigitaldesign.com@gmail.comKnown Accounts and Profiles
- WixCertified partner under “American Velo Coders” on the Wix Marketplace
- FiverrSeller account under “velokoders_team”
- EndowPayment account under “Velokoders Service,” actively used to invoice scam victims
- Gmailinfo.makdigitaldesign.com@gmail.com (used to impersonate our company)
The connection between “American Velo Coders” and “Velokoders” is straightforward: same entity, same services, same Gmail-based contact pattern. “VeloKoders” is a shortened version of their full name. Both accounts share identical service descriptions focused on Wix Velo development, and both operate exclusively through Gmail addresses rather than professional domain-based email.
The group presents itself as a US-based web development company with “10+ years experience” while operating what amounts to an impersonation mill, using the names and reputations of legitimate agencies to phish eCommerce merchants.
How to Protect Yourself
If you are a BigCommerce merchant, or any eCommerce store owner, keep the following in mind.
Verify before you pay. If someone invoices you for services through a platform like Endow, Stripe, PayPal, or any other payment tool, confirm the legitimacy of the sender through a separate, verified channel before sending any money.
If You’ve Already Been Contacted or Paid
- Stop all communication with the scammer immediately
- Contact your bank or payment provider to dispute the charge
- File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- File a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov
- Contact us at MAK Digital Design so we can document the incident
Actions We Have Taken
We do not take impersonation of our business lightly. A formal Cease and Desist has been sent directly to American Velo Coders / Velokoders demanding they immediately stop all impersonation activity. We have also filed formal fraud and abuse reports with the following:
We are actively monitoring for any new accounts, domains, or profiles created by this group. Every new alias they create will be identified, reported, and taken down.
A Note to the Scammers
We know who you are. We know your website, your platform accounts, your payment accounts, and your contact information. Every platform you operate on has been notified with documented evidence. Every new account you open, every new domain you register, and every new platform you attempt to operate on will be identified, reported, and taken down.
Contact Us
If you have received a suspicious email claiming to be from MAK Digital Design, or if you have any information about this scam operation, please contact us directly through our official website at makdigitaldesign.com.
We are a legitimate, award-winning BigCommerce partner agency that has been serving the eCommerce community for over a decade. We will continue to protect our clients, our reputation, and the broader merchant community from operations like this.
