Contacting Etsy to check if a buyer is a scammer

[ValeriyaKhomar]

It says that etsy asked for my email in order to pay directly through etsy. Sounds absolutely ridicules and suspicious. To prove it, a screenshot of an etsy request was attached, with a very strong english accent.

I'm trying to reach etsy to check if the buyers' request is correct and if he's a scammer. I've already spent more than an hour of my time searching, but no success or hope. Any suggestions, please?

Thank you

[CappuccinoLace]

It's a scam.

[ValeriyaKhomar]

Thank you!

[ValeriyaKhomar]

Lots of Thanks!

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Yes, CappucinoLace is correct.

Contacting Etsy does nothing.
They are so inundated with scammers right now they cannot even begin to keep ahead of it.

[ValeriyaKhomar]

Thanks OneEyeCatStudio.

I just wanted to report and warn about the scam. Which is doable on the most online platforms.

[ThePurplePuppy]

This is a well known ongoing SCAM. There is no need to contact Etsy as they already know about this.

Just ignore and send the message to spam.  DO NOT engage, and do NOT click on any links in any emails you receive regarding this. they send you to a fake Etsy page and steal your information.

[ChristmasIsLove]

@ValeriyaKhomar It's a SCAM. There are countless Forum threads about it. There is no reason to contact Etsy about it.

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Managing-Your-Shop/How-to-Spot-a-Scam-No-a-Buyer-Doesn-t-Need-Your-Ema...

[FeltOnTheFly]

Spend just three minutes scrolling through all of the posts in this forum to find dozens about this scam…. 

[JoLuFabricCreations]

@ValeriyaKhomar Use this.

Subit a request – Etsy Help

[ValeriyaKhomar]

Thank you! 

I already got the answers from the community, Thanks to all. But I'll still try to reach Etsy. They should be the whistleblowers, not me. Very disappointed.

[OmasFabricStash]

They must be busy, we get this question at least once a day. I wonder if there is a bunch of people doing it together or just individuals who have nothing better to do. 
I just looked and it seems to be a lot of on line sellers are having a problem with the scam. 

[ThePurplePuppy]

@OmasFabricStash 

Ususally these are corporate scams being done by well organized groups from "terriers" to drug cartels to whoever you can think of.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Don't be silly. It is not "people" doing it, it's not "individuals", it's bots.

They are just better at training their bots than Etsy is:)

[Jewels2at]

I am glad you came here before providing info.

[ValeriyaKhomar]

Thanks @Jewels2at

I wouldn't provide any info, I'm not that naive. I just wanted to share my experience with others and notify Etsy. But it seems that the second part is a very difficult task, which I'm absolutely not happy with.

[Jewels2at]

@ValeriyaKhomar 

I never doubted it for a second!

[OmasFabricStash]

@ThePurplePuppy   Thanks for the info. There must be a lot of people that fall for these scams or they wouldn’t still be around. I have received a few about a problem with my order from Etsy, Walmart, Target, eBay, and Amazon. If they addressed it Dear Customer, and needed my name then how did they know I had a problem with my order?  

[ThePurplePuppy]

@OmasFabricStash 

You let out PayPal!

[bradgoodell]

Online scams are running rampant right now.  I’ve put clues to the latest scam on top.  This list also contains clues to other common online scams.  Hopefully it will help you and other sellers.  Once you hit more than 2 red flags, shut down the conversation.  

1. New seller
2. High dollar item or large sale amount
3. Odd or awkward-sounding language
4. They want to take the conversation off Etsy (they ask for your email)
5. Someone messages you and claims you may have been a victim of fraud, and requests your email address to "resolve the issue"
6. You get a (FAKE) message from Etsy Support telling you that they are having technical issues and asking if you've received notification of an order in the last few minutes.  
7. You get a (FAKE) Live Chat message.  
8. You get a phone call from someone claiming to be Etsy.  Etsy doesn’t cold-call sellers.
9. “Etsy Support” claims they want to contact you by text/SMS.  Etsy doesn’t text, they use Etsy messages and/or email.
10. Anyone claiming to be from Etsy who asks for your phone number or login information is a scam. 
11. You get an email requesting you "complete" the order as its currently on hold and asks you for your debit card information.
12. You get an email from (FAKE) Etsy saying Etsy is changing payment methods and will send money directly to your credit or debit card. Etsy has not changed their payment method.
13. You go back to their account, and it's gone
14. The original message has disappeared off Etsy, or has moved itself to your Spam folder.
15. They send you a link of some sort.  DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK
16. They claim they cannot check-out and need your email to complete the order.
17. They claim your Etsy checkout isn't working, and they send you a link to "fix it” 
18. You get an email from (FAKE) Etsy saying you need to do X to get your account verified.  
19. You get a (FAKE) email from Etsy claim you need to buy a high dollar pre-paid Visa or American Express card to get your Etsy account working
20.  They send you a link to a (FAKE) Etsy page that looks genuine and asks for your login and/or credit card details.
21. You find a (FAKE) Etsy phone number off the net and talk to a sympathetic customer service rep that wants you to download an app so they can access your account to fix something.  Etsy does not have a published phone number you can call.  It's a scam, the number is not Etsy's.
22. They want to take the sale off Etsy
23. They ask if something is "still available" when it's obviously for sale in your shop
24. They ask about the condition of an obviously new item
25. They ask if you are honest
26. There is some urgency, such as a birthday or anniversary
27. They claim they are in the Navy, an oceanographer, on a cruise ship, on a research vessel in Antartica
28. They ask you to buy a high dollar gift card and include it in the order
29. They will pay you extra for the inconvenience
30. They claim to have their own shipping company or pick-up agent
31. They claim an uncle is paying
32. They want to pay by money order or Cashier's check
33. They send you payment for far more than the order total
34. They want you to send the overage through Western Union, Venmo, etc.
35. They send you a (fake) PayPal email that says PayPal will release the payment after you send them the overage.

[OmasFabricStash]

I think taking the sale off Etsy should be there a few times. 
@ThePurplePuppy  That I would’ve known immediately it was fake, I don’t use PayPal. 
Ages ago, maybe 25-30 years, we used to do a bunch of those timeshare free 2 night 3 day deals. One call I was asked for a credit card for the first time. Talking to the guy I think he did actually work for the company, but I told him there is no way people would give out their credit card info to a stranger on the phone. 
He told me he had signed up 10 already that day. I don’t think people would give out that info today but way back then we were more trusting. 

[ThePurplePuppy]

@OmasFabricStash 

That was the point--you get stuff from places where you do not even have an account. I have never been to Amazon in my life--not ONCE but I get those 999.00 has been charged to your Amazon acct things all the time!

[Talizmani]

I just had a gal in Canada buy a necklace 5 minutes after listing it. I checked her name and she follows 1000 shops and has favorited 9000 of items . What do I do?

ok I realize now that maybe some people follow and like a lot of product , but I've had problems and scams on Instagram before like this hopefully the sale and review will be ok, just getting paranoid .

[ThePurplePuppy]

@Talizmani 

Pack it and mail it if it is showing in your orders and paid for.

Why would you want to do anything else?

Is there something suspicious about it as per the above list?

ETA: You should remove the buyer's name from your post. You are not allowed to give personal information in the forum

[ValeriyaKhomar]

Lots of THANKS to each participant for your very fast and valuable responses. The info you provided is priceless!

This's the first spam i've received in my 2 yrs on Etsy. Right away I started looking for a link to report, forward the email and link, to make it seen, but didn't find any. Only one option was available: Mark as Spam, which i did.
We're all lucky of having such amazing support from the sellers community who share info, suggestions and personal experiences. But what about the Etsy administration?! It seems like the shop owners are doing Etsy's job.