Increasing number of spam messages in my inbox

[LizzysVintageGems]

I have never had a problem with spam messages from so-called buyers before, now all of a sudden random people using random languages are telling me they haven't received something I supposedly sold them - which I never did.  I always report them as spam, but I'm concerned about the increase incidence of these.  Has anyone else had this problem and is Etsy aware of it from their end?

[WitticismsRus]

@LizzysVintageGems 

Spam messages on Etsys messaging system has been a huge pain in my behind for a few years now. At least 90% of the messages I receive here are spam. Anything from other sellers trying to sell me something, random people trying to sell me their business services , self proclaimed influencers trying to get free stuff, nonsense messages about fake orders like you mentioned and even a bunch of messages one day that contained a single letter. It's been out of hand for years in my inbox. Oh and don't forget the sob story messages around the holidays. Those are fun (sarcasm).

[WitticismsRus · Accepted solution]

Oh and as far as if Etsy is aware. I'm honestly not sure. I mark as spam and sometimes send a snippet suggesting that they review the rules with a link and let them know their messages are against the rules here.  Sometimes the accounts get closed quickly other times they don't and I get another message from the same person weeks later so no idea how or what triggers Etsy to close the spammer account yet others stay open. 

[AAANativeArts]

Generally, the longer you  are on the internet, the more spam you will get over time. I've been on the internet over 25 years, and block about 500 new spam messages every day on my personal email. As fast as I block them, more take their place. Especially when you run a business and have to give contact info to appear to be a legitimate business.

[WitticismsRus]

Wow as I was typing both my posts I just got 2 more spam messages in my inbox. That's on top of the 2 I had already received today. So yeah, today is a busy spammer day for my inbox. 4 so far.

7 is the record for a single day.  

[WitticismsRus]

@AAANativeArts 

Oh yeah I totally know. I've been on the internet for 25 or so years too. I have abandoned more than a few personal email addresses over the years that were consumed by spam. I kept one to use just for spam and use that address for anything that has the potential to be spammed.  It helps.

My biz email isnt as bad yet. I still get hundreds there but thankfully most are caught by the spam filter and I never see them unless I look. I wish Etsys system could filter them out. Like my email does. 

[RamenSandwich]

While I haven't had nearly the same problem with Etsy messages as I have had elsewhere, I do know from reading the forums that this is not a new problem at all. Certain spam/phish/scam tactics seem to come and go in waves, as if scammers of a feather flock together. A few years ago, "I ordered from you 5 years ago and I never got my item" was common, and it seems to have made a comeback recently.

TBH, whether Etsy is aware or not of the extent of the problem, I'm not sure how much they could do to stop it. I get tons of spam every day through my AOL account, and while AOL has a spam filter, it seems to rely on the source of the email to tell whether it's spam or not. I assume that the junk messages we get in our Etsy messages are sent from real Etsy accounts that are set up as burner accounts, so it would be hard for Etsy to distinguish them from real buyer/potential buyer messages.

[AAANativeArts]

@RamenSandwich

AOL is still a thing?! I thought they died long ago.

[RamenSandwich]

@AAANativeArts A zombie shell of its former self, but they haven't shut down yet. Whether or not that qualifies as "still a thing," well....

[BagmakerSupply]

If the message is truly spam, you not only need to mark it as spam, you also need to report it as spam https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360022957794-How-to-Report-Spam-Messages  Presumably the offending account will be shut down by Etsy.

[LizzysVintageGems]

Problem with that is that the messages aren't direct within Etsy Community - only on the Etsy Seller forum.  So I can only mark them as spam.  Thanks though.

[LizzysVintageGems]

Problem with that is that the messages aren't direct within Etsy Community - only on the Etsy Seller forum.  So I can only mark them as spam.