Music Scam Alert

A New, Musician-Targeted Spin on the Classic Nigerian Prince Scam

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In the ever-growing world of digital music distribution, scammers are getting more sophisticated in their methods to exploit independent artists. And, in some cases, the methods aren’t so much getting more sophisticated as they are staying exactly the same.

This one is an oldie but a goodie in the fraudster playbook. Strap in, because we are about to jump into the realm of spoofed distribution sites employing the oldest scam in the book, but with a brand new spin.

In this investigation, we dive deep into the shady world of CD-Baby-Musicspace.com (no affiliation with the actual CD Baby) where artists are tricked into paying scammers a little bit of their own real money to retrieve their supposed large sum of royalty earnings. After paying the retrieval fee, they will unfortunately discover that these supposed royalties don’t actually exist.

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Fake CD Baby Website

The latest fraudulent scheme involves a fake CD Baby website, tricking musicians into believing they are earning royalties while stealing their money through advance-fee fraud.

Wikipedia describes an Advance Fee Scam in the following way:

The scam typically involves promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the fraudster claims will be used to obtain the large sum. If a victim makes the payment, the fraudster either invents a series of further fees for the victim to pay or simply disappears.

Source: Wikipedia

The Nigerian Prince Scam is one of the oldest internet-based scams on record, and it follows this same model. I guess the classics are still at play in the world of fraudsters.

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How the Fake CD Baby Site Scam Works

1. Scammers Create a Fake Website

In this case, the fraudulent website mimics CD Baby, a legitimate and widely recognized music distribution service, which has built a strong reputation over the years for supporting independent artists. The domain name often contains misleading elements like “CD Baby Musicspace”, designed to appear trustworthy to unsuspecting musicians who are eager to promote their work. By adopting familiar branding, scammers attempt to cloak their malicious intents behind a veil of authenticity.

The fake site is sometimes promoted via ads, social media messages, or phishing emails to lure victims in, exploiting the trust that musicians have in well-known platforms. These particular scammers go as far as copying CD Baby’s branding and interface, including recognizable logos and colors, to make the deception more believable, effectively leading artists to believe they are accessing a legitimate service where they can distribute their music and connect with audiences. This can result in not only financial loss but also in the theft of personal information, leaving victims vulnerable in an already competitive industry.

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2. Artists Are Lured into Creating an Account

Musicians sign up, believing they are joining the real CD Baby platform, a reputable service known for helping independent artists distribute their music. The scammers, operating under false pretenses, request personal details, which can later be exploited for identity theft in various nefarious activities. In some cases, victims are encouraged to upload their music, making the scam feel more legitimate and leading them to believe they are on the path to success. This manipulation not only undermines the trust musicians place in online platforms but also poses a significant risk to their careers and personal security, leaving them vulnerable to financial loss and emotional distress as they navigate through these deceptive practices.

In all versions of this scam, the promise of some large amount of money is dangled like a proverbial carrot on a stick, and the unsuspecting victim of this scam is presented with a reasonable course of action in order to obtain that money. That’s the part that differs in every version of this scam – but the basic premise is always the same: Spend a little money now, get a lot of money after that.

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3. A Fake Dashboard Displays Fraudulent Earnings

After logging in, artists see a dashboard showing fabricated royalties—a common tactic in advance-fee scams that preys on the hopes and dreams of aspiring musicians. The numbers appear convincing, often presented with professional-looking charts and graphs, making musicians believe they have generated significant income from their music through sales and streaming.

This illusory success can be incredibly enticing, creating a false sense of security about their financial future. Victims may receive automated email notifications claiming they have earned substantial royalties, further luring them in with promises of collecting a large sum of money that supposedly they have already earned (in this case, the scammer says that the artist has a large sum of streaming royalties waiting to be paid out to them, just sitting in their CD Baby account, unbeknownst to the artist for some time).

The lure of this promised payout is a nearly irresistible prospect. After all, indie artists work extremely hard at their craft and at their career, and rarely do any of us feel fairly compensated for that work.

This scam is particularly effective because every artist that sees a large royalty payment waiting to be cashed out indubitably feels, on some level, that they had earned that money. And so it feels more plausible that the money is real.

🧠 The Winning Psychology Behind this Scam:

The psychology behind this is simple: It feels like that money is really yours because it probably should be. But it isn’t. The money isn’t real. But the money you’ll pay trying to get it is very real. In theory, artists may fall for this type of scam more easily, because the bait is something that is so reasonable – it’s royalties; something that every artist should be earning all the time. Even though these fake royalty amounts are not real money and won’t ever hit your bank account – it really should be real – and would be – if everything in the music industry was structured in a way that was fair and equitable to artists. But, of course, it’s not. This scam plays on our instinctive sense of fairness and our inherent understanding of what is rightfully owed to us, and exploits that.

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The Cost of Being Convinced:

This scam can be convincing enough to lead even the most shrewd artists to make quick, uninformed decisions, such as investing real money to retrieve these promised earnings, or by submitting their personal information to verify their identity, or by purchasing “power-up” packages to supposedly increase their earned revenue. All of these tactics will ultimately put that artist them at greater risk of financial loss and exploitation from the scammers behind this con.

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4. Withdrawal Attempts Trigger a “Processing Fee” Scam

When an artist tries to withdraw their so-called earnings, they are told they must first pay a fee that has conveniently appeared out of nowhere. The fee may be labeled as a membership upgrade, processing charge, verification cost, or tax, each one designed to sound plausible yet dubious. If the victim pays the fee, believing they will finally access the hard-earned funds they were promised, the scammers either disappear without a trace or demand additional payments before releasing the money — which never actually existed in the first place.

Some scammers may go as far as falsely claiming that failing to pay the fee will result in account suspension, instilling a sense of urgency and fear in the victim that prompts them to comply with the demands, often leading to a cycle of continuous exploitation and loss. It is crucial for artists to recognize these red flags and protect themselves from these insidious schemes that prey on their hopes and aspirations, as well as their fears and concerns.

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5. Scammers May Steal Financial or Personal Information

Some victims who provide bank details may experience unauthorized transactions, resulting in significant financial loss and distress. If victims use weak passwords, scammers may easily access other online accounts, leading to further compromises of sensitive information and causing even more damage to their financial and personal lives. The impact of these breaches can extend beyond immediate losses, as stolen personal information can also be sold on dark web marketplaces, where it becomes a valuable commodity for cyber-criminals, seeking to exploit unsuspecting individuals. Victims may face ongoing challenges in securing their accounts, restoring their credit ratings, and protecting their identities from potential identity theft.

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Community Warnings

Several musicians have reported the scam, warning others about the fake platform to prevent further victimization. Victims share similar stories of seeing fake earnings, with some claiming that the amounts appeared to be very enticing, but ultimately, they were unable to withdraw funds without paying exorbitant fees that were either hidden in the terms of service or disclosed only after they had made an initial investment.

Discussions often highlight how scammers aggressively promote the fake site through ads and social media, using deceptive tactics such as testimonials that seem credible but are actually fabricated, creating a false sense of security for potential users.

Many individuals are now urging caution and spreading awareness about the signs of such scams, emphasizing the importance of thorough research before engaging with any online investment platform.

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More Red Flags:

• Scammers use Whatsapp and other messaging platforms to engage with victims.
• Customer service responses are generic, evasive, and push victims toward paying unnecessary fees.
• Fake support agents may use scripted responses that provide no real assistance.

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What About the Real CD Baby?

What Does CD Baby Have to Say?

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Why This Scam Is So Effective

Many independent artists want to earn money from their music. Seeing a dashboard that shows they have a lot of money in royalties gives them false hope and makes them more likely to pay the withdrawal fee. This scam takes advantage of our suspicion towards free money but makes us trust money we have to pay for. Remember, the music you created is what earned you your royalties. You should never have to pay a fee to withdraw your earnings, unless it’s something set by your bank, like a transfer fee.

Scammers also benefit from word-of-mouth marketing — victims who believe the site is real may unintentionally refer other artists, helping the fraud spread.

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How to Protect Yourself from This Scam

1. Verify Official Websites

• Always check the official CD Baby website (www.cdbaby.com) before signing up for any service.
• If a website has a different URL or looks slightly off, it’s a red flag.
• Avoid clicking on random social media links promoting music distribution services.

2. Be Skeptical of Unexpected Royalties

• If you have not distributed music through CD Baby but suddenly see earnings on an unknown dashboard, it’s likely a scam.
• Legitimate services do not require upfront fees to withdraw earnings.
• Cross-check your actual streaming and sales data before trusting an earnings claim.
• Be cautious with payment systems using crypto or blockchain. They are not always scams, but crypto is decentralized, leading to a lack of oversight and regulation. Crypto transactions are anonymous and untraceable, making it an attractive option for fraudsters.

3. Use WHOIS Tools to Check Domains

• If you are unsure about a website, use a domain lookup tool (such as Whoxy) to check its registration details.
• If the domain is brand new or has hidden ownership details, proceed with caution.

4. Report Fake Sites

• If you encounter a fraudulent site impersonating CD Baby, report it to CD Baby, Google Safe Browsing, and to us here at Music Scam Alert.
• Spreading awareness can help prevent other artists from being scammed.

5. Avoid Sharing Financial Information

• Never enter credit card details, banking information, or other sensitive data on an unverified website.
• If you have already provided this information, contact your bank immediately to secure your accounts.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on important accounts to prevent unauthorized access.

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