Uh, if their server was down, the website would be too. And Etsy will simply wait until the server was back up to notify you of a sale. Etsy is messaging you to ask for an email address they already have? How else would the message get to you in the first place if they didn't have your email?
Not mocking you, pissed at the F-ing scammers.
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.
- New seller
- High dollar item or large sale amount
- Odd or awkward-sounding language
- They want to take the conversation off Etsy (they ask for your email)
- Someone messages you and claims you may have been a victim of fraud, and requests your email address to "resolve the issue"
- 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.
- You get a (FAKE) Live Chat message.
- You get a phone call from someone claiming to be Etsy. Etsy doesn’t cold-call sellers.
- “Etsy Support” claims they want to contact you by text/SMS. Etsy doesn’t text, they use Etsy messages and/or email.
- Anyone claiming to be from Etsy who asks for your phone number or login information is a scam.
- You get an email requesting you "complete" the order as its currently on hold and asks you for your debit card information.
- 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.
- You go back to their account, and it's gone
- The original message has disappeared off Etsy, or has moved itself to your Spam folder.
- They send you a link of some sort. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK
- They claim they cannot check-out and need your email to complete the order.
- They claim your Etsy checkout isn't working, and they send you a link to "fix it”
- You get an email from (FAKE) Etsy saying you need to do X to get your account verified.
- 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
- They send you a link to a (FAKE) Etsy page that looks genuine and asks for your login and/or credit card details.
- 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.
- They want to take the sale off Etsy
- They ask if something is "still available" when it's obviously for sale in your shop
- They ask about the condition of an obviously new item
- They ask if you are honest
- There is some urgency, such as a birthday or anniversary
- They claim they are in the Navy, an oceanographer, on a cruise ship, on a research vessel in Antartica
- They ask you to buy a high dollar gift card and include it in the order
- They will pay you extra for the inconvenience
- They claim to have their own shipping company or pick-up agent
- They claim an uncle is paying
- They want to pay by money order or Cashier's check
- They send you payment for far more than the order total
- They want you to send the overage through Western Union, Venmo, etc.
- They send you a (fake) PayPal email that says PayPal will release the payment after you send them the overage.
