Are Scammers reading the Forum?

[ArtAngelDE]

Yesterday, I started a thread asking about how long till people got their first sale on Etsy. 

Today morning, I woke up to a message from a 'Philip Joseph' stating that they read my post and want to help me 'implement a marketing strategy for my shop'.. I now wonder why the Forum is really accessible to everyone - it would have been a much better place if it was exclusive for sellers only, don't you think?

Anyway, I moved the message to spam. 

New sellers (or any online sellers really) beware - those scammers are everywhere.

[Amaradorn]

The forums can currently be read by anyone, however only those with an Etsy shop can post new threads or replies.

I have also been contacted regarding help for my shop after posting in the forum related to low sales - so yes, I think they do read the forum.

I did hear that Etsy will be restricting all access to sellers only in the future so perhaps that will help keep us safe.

[NoFrogsAllowed]

Even if the forums are restricted to sellers only, scammers can still open a shop and scam away.  Also, I got a scam message this morning and I have never posted I was struggling or once asked for help, nor is my shop new (8 years).  Scammers just keep modifying their approach until they find someone who falls for their gimmick.

[ArtAngelDE]

As long as people fall for their gimmick, they're making money and they won't stop. I appreciate that Etsy now shows a warning message in the inbox but I don't think it's anywhere near enough for people to realize it's a trap - Maybe Etsy should ban people from typing e-mail addresses or IBAN numbers in the messages.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

If etsy stops non-sellers reading the forums,

then scammers will just open a shop,

etsy has no checking on opening a shop, you can open one in a few minutes, with no id, tax number, or anything

- I have always said that the checking should be done, when the shop is opened, not after the first sale - wishful thinking it will in future

[ArtAngelDE]

As I was opening my shop, I wondered if that was it? I then googled it to make sure I did not miss any steps.. it was very easy to just open one.

I too, think Etsy should make it more of a 'professional' process right before a shop goes live and not wait till the first sale comes in..

[printableartworkzone]

Sad to say, but it’s the perfect place to find gullible sellers.

[ArtAngelDE]

Sad but so true!! At least sellers are working for their money..