Possible forum abuse - phishing?

I need some answers and I need them now in order to know how best to proceed.

Even though I cannot create filters with my version of Filter Forge, I joined the forum and have been contributing a few ideas for new filters. In order to show designers what I had in mind, I have taken photos and illustrated my ideas. While using the forum, I have engaged in some friendly banter with a few users, nothing intended to demean a user or discredit their work.

This morning, I received a personal message at my official e-mail address, the one I used to register my purchase, not some throw away address.The message was purportedly from a filter designer whose work I really admire and whose filters I have frequently used. However, the tone of the message really surprised me and based on the kinds of forum responses I had been receiving from this person, was totally out of character. There was also something "off" about the phrasing of the message. The language was English but the syntax was Asian. I am multi-lingual. There has never been any indication in this person's forum postings that the person's native language was not English.

So here's my dilemma. I have not responded to this personal message because it smacks of "let's you and him pick a fight". In other words, a bogus message from a third unknown party trying to start trouble. If I have, in fact somehow offended the filter creator, I offer my apology. I can assure that person that that was never my intent. If the message was from some third party, "You have picked the wrong person to screw with. I likely have your unique computer ID and location from your having visited my website in the same time frame in which you sent your message to me. Keep screwing with me and that information will be furnished to Filter Forge."

I do not need nor want the ability to send or receive personal messages but I see no way of opting in or out of personal messages in my profile. My profile shows my website URL. Removing that is no problem even though I would sometimes like people to be able to see what I'm doing with software. The main problem appears to be removing my e-mail address. If I remove or change that, that would eliminate bogus e-mails but also prevent me from receiving bonafide e-mails from the Filter Forge company about upgrades, promotions, etc.

I have not responded to the message writer because to do so would reveal my actual e-mail address. My understanding is that anyone using the forum can contact a forum user via e-mail but that that forum user's e-mail address is not disclosed. Not to beat a dead horse, but it would be disclosed however if the recipient of the message were to respond to the address provided in the personal message e-mail.

Has this happened to anyone else? Am I being phished? Is someone claiming they have been insulted in order to get me to reveal my actual e-mail address?

I would like to continue participating in the forum because I think divergent viewpoints are helpful and promote creativity. I may not be able to comntinue doing so however if participation means that I am opening myself up to spam, spoofing and phishing.

Please tell me what my options are.

Thanks

Ignore it... You have no clue who people really are... Hell, I'm an an ax murderer... Doh!!! lol...

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm gonna wait 24 hours to see if there is any more communication from this person before deciding on a next move.

Meanwhile here's something for StevieJ whose soft focus filter I used to modify a frame from the Princesas movie.

See how you get abused when you reach out and share here...