SCAM ALERT: Please be aware of this Squarespace web design scam - September 2025

There's a new scam going around in the web design world right now (September 2025) and I wanted to bring it to your attention.

There are scammers who are posing as web designers/agencies, creating fake email addresses using their names and contacting the past clients of these designers. They are offering audits of websites for "compliance/performance/security" purposes.

Luckily, my clients bought this to my attention and flagged an email she thought she had received from her past agency.

I wanted to share a screenshot of the email so you can spot the scam if you see it:

They are specifically using scare tactics and words like "vulnerabilities/restrictions/security" and time pressure to trick you into making a rush decision.

However, this type of audit is absolutely NOT necessary if you have a Squarespace website. 

Squarespace is one of the most secure hosting platforms you can choose for your website. That's exactly why I recommend it to my clients. You don't need to worry about downtime, license restrictions or vulnerabilities. There are robust security measures at a platform level, and you don’t need to worry about setting up your site in a particular way to stay secure. The platform is inherently secure.

I was first made aware of this by one of my clients who had received the email, and had it confirmed by multiple other designers that they had also had complaints from clients about the same email.

I have also personally reached out to Squarespace to ask for confirmation, and they have confirmed there is nothing to worry about.

Let me be clear - these are not genuine website audits from designers. These are FAKE email addresses, posing as the designers, to get you to pay them out of fear.

Website audits are a service I offer for feedback on your site, SEO and room for improvement - but security risk is absolutely not a reason for an audit if your have Squarespace website. And I would never use scare tactics or rush you into a decision to get an audit with me.

If your website is built on Squarespace, then rest assured your website is NOT at risk.

If your website is NOT built on Squarespace and receive an email like this from your designer, double check the email address is the same as the one you previously contacted them with, and reach out to them in a new email thread to be sure.

And of course, please remember to always check the email address that unexpected emails are sent from, and get a second opinion before you click on any links.

Stay safe out there,

Freya