Fake Descript / Riverside / Buzzsprout podcast and video creation tool subscription payment failed, video projects suspended, or podcast recordings halted phishing

Phishing emails impersonating Descript, Riverside, or Buzzsprout claiming the podcast or video creation tool subscription payment has failed, video projects are suspended, transcript editing is inaccessible, podcast recordings are no longer active, or podcast episodes will be removed from Apple Podcasts and Spotify — directing them to update billing or restore their subscription through a credential-harvesting portal. Distinct from fake Vimeo/Loom video hosting phishing (which targets video HOSTING and storage) — this targets podcast and video CREATION, editing, distribution, and transcript tools with creator-specific hooks. Key facts: (1) Descript's AI editing and overdub features create a unique 'account suspended' hook: Descript serves 80,000+ creators ($12-24/month Creator/Pro) and is the dominant tool for podcast and video editing using AI transcript editing — when a Descript subscription lapses, video projects become inaccessible (not just new editing locked; existing project files cannot be opened), AI transcript editing is suspended, overdub voice cloning is disabled, and collaborative editing workspaces are locked; for podcasters and video creators mid-production, project inaccessibility is catastrophic; (2) Riverside's 'cloud recordings at risk' hook targets the recording archive: Riverside serves 100,000+ creators ($15-24/month Standard/Pro) as a studio-quality recording platform for podcasts and video content — Riverside automatically stores all recorded sessions to the cloud in high-quality formats; a 'your Riverside podcast recordings and video studio are suspended' email threatens the loss of all recorded interview sessions that haven't been downloaded locally; professional podcasters who recorded episodes in advance are particularly vulnerable; (3) Buzzsprout's 'episodes removed from Apple Podcasts and Spotify' hook is extremely high-urgency: Buzzsprout serves 100,000+ active podcast shows ($12-49/month Buzzsprout paid plans) as a podcast hosting and distribution platform — podcast hosting is the infrastructure that feeds episodes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and every other directory; a 'your episodes will be removed from Apple Podcasts and Spotify' hook threatens the erasure of the podcast's discoverability and listener base; for podcasters who depend on the podcast for income, this is an existential threat; (4) Podcast and video creation credentials expose clients' guest interview recordings (which may contain unreleased conversations with notable guests), episode production schedules, subscriber/listener analytics, and in Buzzsprout's case, monetization revenue data and sponsor information; (5) Descript and Riverside credentials for teams give attackers access to collaborative editing workspaces that contain all in-progress video and podcast projects, including unreleased episodes, raw interview footage, and client work product. Warning signs: sender not descript.com/riverside.fm/buzzsprout.com; genuine Descript billing at web.descript.com/account; Riverside billing at riverside.fm/account; Buzzsprout billing at buzzsprout.com/account.