Official security notice — impersonation scam in progress

From Ian Shepherd — Official Statement

Someone is impersonating me and this podcast to steal your Meta accounts

A fraudster is cold-contacting creators using my name and the Business of Creators brand, offering a fake $1,000 appearance fee and a Zoom call designed to trick you into handing over admin access to your Facebook and Instagram business accounts. I have no connection to any of this. Please do not respond to them.

Notice published August 2026 · Updated as new information arrives

The Fraudulent Accounts

Who is doing this

The impersonator operates under the name "Carlos" / Carlos Carlin and claims to represent a team behind this podcast. They are not affiliated with me, Electrify Video Partners, or this show in any way. Two fraudulent email addresses have been confirmed so far:

Email 1 bizofcreators@gmail.com
Email 2 businessofcreatorsmgmt@gmail.com
Alias used Carlos / Carlos Carlin
Claim made "Meta Live Event (Sponsored) hosted by Ian Shepherd"
Bait $1,000 appearance fee for a live virtual Facebook episode

How the Scam Works

The playbook, step by step

Once you reply, the scam follows a deliberate sequence designed to gain admin control of your Meta business accounts.

01

Invitation email

An email arrives from one of the two addresses above, offering a $1,000 fee for a "live virtual episode" on Facebook — billed as a sponsored Meta event. The tone is professional and flattering.

02

Zoom "technical setup" call

You are booked onto a Zoom call framed as a pre-show technical briefing. They specifically push you to use your laptop for this call.

03

Screen-share and access request

The scammer shares their screen showing Meta Business Suite and instructs you to add their email as an admin on your business portfolio or Page — claiming this is required for the broadcast setup. This is the theft. Do not grant access under any circumstances.

04

Camera refusal

If asked to turn on their camera, they claim their PC doesn't have one. A real production team would have no issue appearing on video.

Warning Signs

Red flags to watch for

📧
Gmail addressesWe communicate from verified domains. We never use personal Gmail accounts.
💵
Unsolicited $1,000 feeWe do not cold-contact guests with cash offers. If it sounds too good, it is.
📵
No camera on ZoomRefusing to appear on video during a video call is a fundamental red flag.
🔑
Requests Meta admin accessNo legitimate podcast requires access to your Business Suite or Page settings.
💻
Pushes you to use a laptopInsisting on a laptop is designed to make the Meta Business Suite flow easier for them.
🏢
"Meta Live Event (Sponsored)"This event does not exist. Meta has not sponsored any episode of this podcast.

You Were Contacted

If you've already been in touch with them

1
Check your Meta Business Portfolio immediately Go to Meta Business Suite → Settings → People and remove any unknown users. Review Page access and check for pending partner requests you don't recognise.
2
Change your Meta password and enable two-factor authentication Do this even if you believe you didn't approve anything. If you typed your password anywhere during the call, treat it as compromised.
3
Preserve all evidence before reporting Download the original emails as .eml files (Gmail: open message → More → Show original → Download original). Screenshot any Zoom meeting ID, chat, or screen-share content. Do not delete anything yet.
4
Report to Google Report both addresses via Google's abusive Gmail account form. Also use Gmail's "Report phishing" option inside the original email.
5
Report to Meta Use Meta's impersonation reporting process to flag any fake pages or profiles encountered. You can report without a Facebook account.
6
Report to UK police fraud reporting File a report at reportfraud.police.uk, noting the false appearance fee, identity theft, and any account access attempted. Include Zoom meeting IDs if you have them.

Verify Before You Engage

My real channels

Any genuine outreach from this show comes through these verified channels only. If you're unsure whether contact is legitimate, check here first.

✓ Official Business of Creators

Email ian@bizofcreators.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ishepherd
Apple Podcasts ID 1589028774

Ian Shepherd

Host, The Business of Creators