I Almost Had to Start Over | I Nearly Lost My Channel

As my YouTube channel gains traction, so do the requests for sponsored videos. But with popularity comes the risk of scammers. Let me share a recent experience that could’ve wiped out my entire channel in seconds. It all started with an email that seemed legit at first. A marketing company reached out, claiming to represent Evian water. Here’s what they wrote:

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Dear Content Creator,

I hope this email finds you in good spirits. At Evian, we’re passionate about delivering pure hydration straight from the source. As a renowned YouTuber with a sharp eye for quality, we believe your platform aligns perfectly with our mission.

We’re reaching out to explore the possibility of a collaboration that highlights the importance of staying hydrated with Evian mineral water. Our product embodies superiority and purity, making it the ideal choice for your audience seeking a revitalizing experience.

Let’s team up to inspire your followers to prioritize hydration and elevate their wellness journey with Evian. Together, we can make a splash in promoting health and vitality.

Looking forward to the opportunity to work together.

Best regards,

Olivia

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I was initially thrilled. Sponsored requests validate the hard work put into the channel and often come with a nice financial boost. But something felt off. Why would a water company choose me for promotion? The idea seemed odd.

Despite my skepticism, I responded with my proposal, including my fee. Their response was polite but strange. It included a PDF for more details, which I wisely avoided downloading. I skimmed through the document, which looked professional until this awkward line:

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As a part of our agreement, we are to provide a payment of a 50% value of the agreed amount after you sign our promotional contract and we finish our negotiations concerning how the advertisement will be presented on your channel.

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The odd phrasing and errors hinted at a non-native English speaker. Evian is a French company, but they’d have the resources to ensure flawless English in official communications. This raised red flags.

I decided to contact Evian directly to verify the email’s authenticity. Meanwhile, I found a Reddit post confirming my suspicions: this was a scam. I informed the scammers that I was onto them and planned to report their emails.

Later, I received another identical email from the scammers, showing their lack of originality. The next day, Evian responded:

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Hi Jai,

We appreciate you reaching out to us at evian®.

Thanks for letting us know.

We have recently received word of several fraud attempts using the evian name and brand, where an individual is impersonating an evian “Media Manager”.

Evian will never directly reach out to individuals, content creators, or other influencers seeking partnership.

Let’s keep in touch! Get the latest updates by following us on social media or visiting our website. Take care and have a healthy day.

Carol & The evian® Team
Case # 04018624

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Confirmation! I had narrowly avoided a scam that could have erased my channel. How do I know the link was dangerous? I stumbled upon Mary Rose | Rose Homestead’s video titled “Starting Over: We Lost Our Channel.” She described a similar scam involving Aquafina, another water company.

Mary Rose lost her channel and income within seconds of clicking a fraudulent link. It was a wake-up call. These scammers are targeting content creators with seemingly innocent sponsorship offers from water companies.

So, here’s my advice: be vigilant. Verify the legitimacy of any sponsorship offers. Contact the companies directly and never click on suspicious links.

Check out Mary Rose’s video for more insights, and be very careful if you decide to start a Youtube channel. 

To watch a more in depth detail of what happened. Check out the video I created here.