Weird message from Etsy Trust

[PrettyPrintablesInk]

I received a weird message from Etsy Trust and Safety saying that my shop was flagged for a recent transaction that took place off Etsy. The only online forum I sell on is Etsy and I have no other way for people to order or pay me. Has anyone else had this happen? I also had a weird order come through a month ago that Etsy was following up on and never got back to me, so now I am worried something is happening with my shop. 

[NanaLetha]

If it was an Etsy message, I doubt it’s really from Etsy. 

[NancyQstudio]

This might not be a real Etsy message.  Here is a link from the Etsy Seller Handbook about how to tell if a message is really from Etsy: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000343128-How-to-Protect-Yourself-from-Phishing-Scams

[NancyQstudio]

If you find the message was sent from Etsy Trust, reply to the message.  These typically come via email.  

It is very common to receive fake legal threatening spam messages trying to gain access to information.  I've received two of these fraudulent messages on Etsy.  I receive them all the time on my social media accounts.  Inspecting the addresses helps.  If you still have a concern, it can assist to contact Etsy chat to verify a legitimate message was sent to you.  I've done this before when I wasn't sure and they were able to confirm I had received a legitimate Etsy message.  

[PrairiePrimitives]

@PrettyPrintablesInk Was this message in your "From Etsy" folder in your Etsy Messages? If it wasn't in this folder, it's spam (or a scammer). 

[PrairiePrimitives]

Did you happen to receive an Etsy message from someone asking to buy outside of Etsy? Or did you say something in an Etsy message about meeting someone locally to sell them something? 

What was the weird order? 

[ArtDollsbyJD]

If the message is not from the Etsy folder then it is a scam.

If in your email, there are scammers that try to emulate Etsy and they are getting rather good at it.  Do nothing with the email but contact Etsy and ask if the email is legit.

[PrettyPrintablesInk]

Thank you! It was by email, so I did reach out to Etsy.

[ButterflyFeetDigital]

Things to read:

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

[DragonflyDreams1]

Over a month ago I heard of a similar email contact from Etsy (not in the forums), but it was indeed from Etsy. The assumption was made that Etsy is monitoring and trying to catch transactions taken offsite. It seems Etsy may be stepping up enforcement of the policy,

[cindylouwho2]

@DragonflyDreams1 interesting! If you find any examples of this, please send them my way. 

[DragonflyDreams1]

@cindylouwho2 I will send you a message

[PrettyPrintablesInk]

@DragonflyDreams1 Thank you! This was via email, but I complete absolutely ALL of my transactions through Etsy only! The only time I ever message outside of Etsy is if a buyer is having issues downloading a file through Etsy messages or through instant downloads...then, I will email them their file directly as part of good customer service, but I follow up with a message in Etsy Messages stating the file was sent so that there is record in Etsy. I really hope that is NOT what is getting me flagged, but I am certainly not completing any sort of transaction off of Etsy.

[PrettyPrintablesInk]

@PrairiePrimitives, Sorry, words matter! I said message but I meant "email" from Etsy

[cindylouwho2]

@PrettyPrintablesInk If Etsy is trying to catch people taking transactions off of Etsy, they will be automating it, so there will be plenty of errors. 

I hope you can figure this out! 

[PoochandTabby]

None of the emails I get from Etsy are in my From Etsy folder. I get seller emails twice a week and they aren't duplicated in my messages folder.

I also dealt with an issue where I did a refund for a customer and it didn't go through because of a tech issue and in that process, the support chat guy asked if he could email me and his email didn't end up duplicated in my From Etsy folder either. So in my experience, I get emails from Etsy that don't go in my messages folder. 

There was a seller last week in the forums, that had her messages muted and she was asking if it was a violation if she was putting her email and website in her messages to customers and in her listings. She said she wasn't telling them to purchase but was telling them they could email her for more information or go to her website for more photos, info etc. 

OP, in your listings, you do mention to look at your website for more info and direct customers off of Etsy for printing, so the Etsy bots might not be smart enough to understand that you aren't taking them off of Etsy to purchase your downloads. I would reply to it if it had the usual Etsy email structure and see what they say.

[PrairiePrimitives]

@PoochandTabby I thought this discussion was about Etsy messages, not emails? The OP used the word "message" ... 

[PoochandTabby]

@PrairiePrimitives

Anytime I think of Etsy Trust and Safety messages, I think of emails, because support has always said that T&S and Legal depts only communicate through email. I have dealt with both when I found a fake website that was mimicking Etsy and had hundreds of Etsy shops' listings on them. And both only replied via email because they are true Etsy depts/employees.

Some forums posts interchange between 'email' and 'message' when they mean one or the other, but then again, what could a scammer gain by telling a seller that they're being flagged for violating the off platform policy? That is why I am assuming it's an email, but I absolutely could be wrong. 

[Adorabilities]

Etsy can email us directly. Those emails are not sent through Etsy's messaging system, so checking the "from Etsy" folder doesn't help determine whether it's a legit message or not.

[WitticismsRus]

Was this a message on Etsy in their messaging system or an email to the email associated with your account? 

[NancyQstudio]

@WitticismsRus It's an email message.  It's my understanding that all notifications sent via the Etsy trust team are done via email.  

[WitticismsRus]

@NancyQstudio 

Correct, that's been my experience with Trust & safety as well.  That's why I was asking for clarification as the OP said messages and many replies were about the 'From etsy' folder etc. Some call emails messages and messages emails which often just leads to confusion in the replies. 

[irmaKdesigns]

@PrettyPrintablesInk "flagged for a recent transaction that took place off Etsy."

How would Etsy know about transactions made anywhere outside of Etsy? Most likely it's not from Etsy.

@PoochandTabby "had her messages muted and she was asking if it was a violation if she was putting her email and website in her messages."

Etsy bots might be seeing it as spamming if same repeating text, her website, is in every message. Also, links might trigger scammer alert. When I give my website link in a message, warning pops up when clicked on it. I imagine bots will notice if it's done too often.

[PoochandTabby]

@irmaKdesigns

True, but seller noted she wouldn't make first contact, it was when customers or potential customers messaged her.

And re: links I did have an ongoing convo with a customer immediately get sent to spam once after she gave me a link to her Facebook group to show me what her dogs looked like. I think the bots don't like links unless they're Etsy links, perhaps.

[Sculpturevn]

be carefall with scam