Scammers or genuine Etsy staff and buyers?

[SacredByKarina]

        Hi!

    I am being bombarded everyday with messages from scammers, who pretend to be from Etsy stafff, asking me to verify my bank account, and email address, saying that my shop is temporarily suspended, until I verify this…well it has already been verified, and my friend who has a shop on Etsy ,says that it is scammers.

Now I got a message, right after this scam message, from Maria, in the Netherlands, asking me for the same, for my email address, saying they are trying to buy my item, with a gift card, but for some reason, they can’t unless I give them my email address…

I don’t know what to believe now, honestly!!..I don’t know what messages are genuine, who is real, and who are scammers, I am so fed up of this!

I set up my shop a week ago, and it has only been scammers so far.

Twice, I got a message saying Congratulations, you made a sale, and my most expensive item…but then they again, asked to put in my bank details, in order to proceed with the payment for me, and it took me to another site…

I didn’t give them anything, well first time I did, because I thought it was real. I cancelled that bank card.

I contacted Etsy support, and I asked them if this were them? And they just said, if I thought I got scam emails, messages I should just mark it as spam…well that was a very flakey answer, not clarifying anything.

Basically, I have no idea, whether the messages and the supposed customer, talking to me now, wanting to buy from me is genuine or a scam. God! This is so frustrating and annoying!

what to do about this? Does anyone have a number for Etsy? I need to speak to someone from Etsy, who can clarify to me, what all this is. Any advice would be much appreciated.

       Thank you.

            Karina 

[FallenAngelBrass · Accepted solution]

Scam messages are easy to spot:

• Are not sent from the "From Etsy" folder.
• Do not show the yellow "From Etsy" badge.
• Do not show the little orange "E" badge sitting outside the icon walls. Nobody can copy this.
• Usually use the Etsy logo as the sender icon, which is easily copied. 

If the sender's icon is the Etsy logo and nothing else, it's a scam. 

[MoldCreationsNmore · Accepted solution]

sorry to say but I did receive a scam message directly from my "From Etsy" folder, when I tried to respond to it, a popup said the sender was non existant and that is when I figured that all these scams were an inside job so to speak, how else would all these new shops get these scam emails/messages. 

[SacredByKarina]

Thank you for that.

I need to mention that I did get it from the etsy folder, those messages, but they were clearly scams. But the other info you gave me, I did not know and is really useful. Thank you. Karina

[hopeandjoystudios · Accepted solution]

I would believe zero of anyone asking to get my email. Etsy HAS your email. A legit customer HAS your email. The gift card is probably a scammer but nothing you could do anyways  but say "You need to contact Etsy as I am not the payment processor". If they carry on or you get a message from "Etsy" that is not in your Messages from Etsy folder it is a SCAM.  So sorry. that has to be entirely taxing and stressful to have to deal with.

[SacredByKarina]

Thank you for that. Yes that totally makes sense.

it is very annoying indeed, but I know how to deal with it now, and know what is real and what is not.

  Thank you. Karina 

[SacredByKarina]

Thank you did your advice.

Karina

[hopeandjoystudios · Accepted solution]

An ORDER will show up in your dashboard under ORDERS. If it is not here, it is not an order. Anyone asking for your email is a scammer. Any message that is not in your Etsy message folder is a scammer.

[Vintorious]

Etsy does not need your email: they already have your email. 

Etsy cannot block people from opening new accounts. If they did, no one would be here. Marking messages that are suspicious as "spam" actually helps everyone, since this helps Etsy know when someone is trying to swindle people. 

[LittlemixAntique]

It's scammers don't give any your details and don't open the link sent with email. If you need help chat online with Etsy customer service.

[hopeandjoystudios · Accepted solution]

I might consider adding an auto reply message at least for a bit . (I think they only last 5 days or so but whatever) Hi!  I am currently busy filling orders. If you have a question I do go through my messages once a day and will get back to you shortly." That way  if it is legit there should be a legit order attached  and you can just go through and spam. spam. spam  all the rest at once.

[SacredByKarina]

Thank you very much.

  Karina 

[GieseDeseiGns]

Anytime anyone wants you to go off Etsy, by giving them your email. Its a scam. Why would Etsy take you off Etsy to do Etsy business, nope nada, think about it for a minute.

[SacredByKarina]

Yes I do, but I am totally new here, I don’t know what’s normal procedure. Thank you for your advice.

karina

[ButterflyFeetDigital · Accepted solution]

Things to read if you haven't already:

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/Protect-Your-Account-From-Scammers/m-p/143158945#M1882

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

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/New-From-Etsy-section-in-Messages/m-p/143722497#M1899

https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000343128-How-to-Handle-Spam-and-Suspicious-Messages

[FunkyCleos · Accepted solution]

I set up my shop three weeks ago . Having exactly the same as you are with scammers and I am just as confused . The scammers seem to come as soon as I  make a listing or edit, I wonder if they have  access to my shop. I have never clicked on on any links or gave my e mail to anyone. Yesterday my bank contacted me that someone was trying to use my card to buy a holiday. Thank goodness they stopped it. I nearly lost all my savings. I think they got the details when I first gave Etsy my details. I am so confused don't know what's real or scam anymore  

[hopeandjoystudios · Accepted solution]

How did you give Etsy your details.  It should have been through the site only. I feel Etsy’s security it pretty tight but you may have someone attached to your device.

[ZehOriginalArt · Accepted solution]

@FunkyCleos @SacredByKarina 

1. To spot scammers who say they are from Etsy, do this:

Check your Shop Manager>Messages. Under Messages, there is a link named 'From Etsy' which appears third from the top under Inbox and Order Help Requests. Click on that. If the message is not there, the message is not from Etsy even if it shows in your inbox (anyone can send messages to your inbox). This section does not appear in the app, so check your messages on the Etsy site in a browser.

2. For anyone claiming to need your email to make a sale, mark the message as Spam because that is the start of a scam. Etsy has your email address and will not ask you for it. Marking as spam must be done in a browser, not the app which does not show that.

3. Anyone saying they are having problems with checkout, tell them to contact Etsy. There is nothing you can do about it. Etsy handles transactions, not you.

4. You do not have a sale unless it shows in your shop as a sale. Check Shop Manager> Orders and Shipping. If not there, there is no sale.

Sorry to hear you are going through this. The scammers are relentless because many sellers on Etsy fall for the scams. NEVER click links in messages or emails. Scammers are all over the internet since AI has become accessible. The AI makes their 'job' easier is my guess.

[TouchOfTimesPast]

Twice in the last year I had a scam message, supposedly from Etsy, and and akin to those received by OP.  Neither were in the From Etsy folder. Relegated both to Spam. 

This morning I received a message from someone claiming to be a highly professional operations team who want to collaborate in operating my store. Told me to hand over my store, and tried to lure with some dollar amounts...  Added their telephone number to discuss... Yeah, sure!!! HA!!! They're in the Spam folder now.