Is my ADA website demand letter real or a scam?

Some businesses receive real ADA website demand letters. Others receive vague or misleading emails. Here is how to slow down, preserve records and verify before you act.

This is a technical accessibility assessment, not legal advice, and automated testing cannot establish ADA compliance.

Start by preserving the message

Save the email, PDF, envelope, screenshots, phone messages and attachments. Do not forward only a copied excerpt to your attorney; preserve the original message and metadata when you can.

Signs to verify

• Who sent it? Look up the law firm or sender independently, not only through links in the email.
• Does it name your business and website accurately? Generic language alone is a reason to slow down and verify.
• Does it include a court case number? If it says a lawsuit was filed, your attorney can verify court records.
• Does it demand payment through unusual channels? Treat urgent payment instructions carefully and verify through an independent contact method.
• Does it claim a scan already proved everything? Automated scans are limited, and a clean or scary score is not the whole story.

What not to do

• Do not ignore a message just because it arrived by email.
• Do not click every link or open every attachment if you are unsure who sent it.
• Do not assume installing an overlay or widget resolves the underlying issues.
• Do not let a scare email pressure you into buying an expensive service before you understand the technical facts.

What to verify technically

Whether the letter is real or suspicious, you can still check your site for common issues: missing image descriptions, low contrast, unlabeled forms, unnamed icon buttons, vague links and keyboard problems. Those issues are worth fixing even when the sender is questionable.

When to involve a lawyer

If the message names a law firm, plaintiff, deadline, settlement demand or court filing, talk to a lawyer about the response. ADA Triage does not decide whether a demand is legitimate; we help you collect the website facts your lawyer may need.

For next steps, use the ADA website demand letter checklist.