Is Etsy safe to use? You are a hopeful Etsy seller, excited about your side hustle. But then one day you receive a strange message. Is this really an email from Etsy? Is my customer really having issues paying? In this article, you will learn how to avoid common Etsy scams and how to spot them before they run away with your money, or worse, your Etsy store.
Basic Tips To Avoid Scams
There are a few basic rules to follow to protect yourself from being scammed.
- Never pay or communicate outside of Etsy; this is against TOS and you will lose any protections
- Dont provide personal information like email address
- Be wary of clicking any URLs sent by message
- Check if a message is really from Etsy by checking the “From Etsy” folder in your messages section of your account. Or via email, they will be from @etsy.com or @mail.etsy.com
- Don’t ship something to a different address than what was in the order; they can claim the order never came and get an automatic refund. Accept changes at your own risk.
- Check for misspellings when receiving messages or emails from someone claiming to be Etsy or Etsy Support.
Was I scammed on Etsy?
Red Flags That Suggest An Etsy Scam. Scammers are getting more and more clever, to the extent that they may fool some people into thinking they are talking to an Etsy representative. So, how can you be sure? Don’t engage and report the message if:
- You are asked for your email address: Etsy already knows your email address; if you share this, then hackers will try to take over your account, or they will send you fake emails pretending to be from Etsy.
- The buyer asks you to pay using any third-party app, such as Paypal, Cashapp, Venmo, cryptocurrency, or anything that is not Etsy.
- You receive an email from Etsy that says your account was hacked. You will be asked to click a link and provide a phone number or email address.
How To Check If a Message from Etsy Is Real
Messages from Etsy may have different subject lines, but will always appear in the From Etsy folder.
- Always make sure the site you are visiting is Etsy.com
- Check for proper english
- Etsy will send email notifications about a store issue; you wont get a chat support notification
Follow the steps suggested by Etsy about how to handle suspicious messages.
Etsy Scams
Below are some more of the common etsy scams out there; check these out and make yourself familiar, so you can stay safe.
You may receive a message that goes like this:
-Аftеr а раrtіаl сhесk оf yоur stоrе wе nоticеd thаt fоr thе еnd оf thе сurrеnt yеаr,nаmеly оn 25.12.2023 yоur bаnk dеtаіls nееd to bе uрdаtеd, раyments аnd оrdеrs wіll nоt bе ассерtеd аftеr sеndіng thіs еmaіl.
-Tо uрdаtе thеm, yоu nееd tо sеnd us yоur еmаіl іn а rерly сhаt mеssаgе tо сrеаtе а rеquеst.
-Yоu wіll rесеіvе thе еmаіl аnd аct оn thе іnstruсtіоns.
-оthеrwіsе yоur ассоunt wіll bе blосkеd wіthіn 24 hоurs аftеr thе еmаіl іs sеnt tо yоu.
1. Update bank details or your account will be blocked.
You may receive a message that goes like this:
-Аftеr а раrtіаl сhесk оf yоur stоrе wе nоticеd thаt fоr thе еnd оf thе сurrеnt yеаr,nаmеly оn 25.12.2023 yоur bаnk dеtаіls nееd to bе uрdаtеd, раyments аnd оrdеrs wіll nоt bе ассерtеd аftеr sеndіng thіs еmaіl.
-Tо uрdаtе thеm, yоu nееd tо sеnd us yоur еmаіl іn а rерly сhаt mеssаgе tо сrеаtе а rеquеst.
-Yоu wіll rесеіvе thе еmаіl аnd аct оn thе іnstruсtіоns.
-оthеrwіsе yоur ассоunt wіll bе blосkеd wіthіn 24 hоurs аftеr thе еmаіl іs sеnt tо yоu.
2. Verify Your Bank Card, To Restore Your Store
Transcript: Order information is issued after verification. Dear seller, the verification takes 6 hours in total, further, if it does not happen the buyer will get his money back.
Signs this was a scammer.
- Always check the URL, here it can be seen that the URL is not Etsy.com and shows as “Not Secure”
- Poor and Incorrect English
- Etsy will not use the words “Sanction or Scam”, they will simply ban your account via email. There is no Support Chat Notification
3. Your Account Is on hold
Transcript: “Hello, this is your Etsy assistant. Due to an update to our payment system, orders on your account are currently on hold. We need to verify your store. Once verified, your store will be fully operational. Please follow the link, and complete a simple verification of your details: [url]”
Signs this was a scammer.
- The Url is not Etsys
4. “ I would like to buy in bulk” or “Here are the items I need”
Transcript: ” I like your products and would like to buy them as gifts for my family. My family has 7 … This is all products I need here [url]”
Signs this was a scammer.
- The Url is not Etsys
5. The Gift Card
Transcript: ” I want it shipped to my cousin in Florida.. I would like you to also get a apple gift card of $500 and included it in the package before shipment… I am a US Navy office so I won’t be able to do that, So I will add $600 to the payment $500 for the gift card and $50 for shipping and $50 for gas ..”
Signs that this was a scammer.
- Mentions of military to gain sympathy
- Requesting giftcard purchase
- Improper english
- No etsy logo on user image
6. Support Bot: Sales in your store are currently suspended
Transcript: “Sales in your store are temporarily suspended to complete verification. Please provide your email address so we can send you a verification form. Order processing system! Hello, your shop is temporarily unable to accept new orders. To restore the shop and see new order in your profile please write your e-Mail address in the chat. You will be sent a notification where you can complete a simple verification. Regards, Etsy”
Signs this was a scammer.
- Bad English
- Requesting your email, Etsy wont ask for this
- No Etsy Logo on user image
7. Store Operations Collaboration
Transcript: ” We are a highly professional operations team and would like to collaborate with you in operating your store… We will pay you a fixed compensation of no less than $30 per week and you will also receive a one-time bonus of no less than $300. You just need to hang over your store to us, and we will handle store operations, logistics, post-sale services and more. We will remotely access your store and… please contact us viaWhatsapp..”
Signs this was a scammer.
- No Etsy logo
- Requesting a Whatsapp Call
8. Verify my credit card by transfer of money
Transcript: ” you need to top up the card for identification so tha the bank is convinced that the card is really yours and then they can transfer money to you, they send you 55 $ and 45$”
Signs this was a scammer.
- Etsy will not ask for money via chat
9. QR Code Verification
Transcript: “Greeting on behalf of Etsy Support. We would like to inform you that your item has been succesfully paid for by the buter but for security reasons it is necessary to verify your account. .. please verify your Etsy account and write QR in this chat to begin the verification process. We will send you the QR code for verification.”
Signs this was a scammer.
- Etsy will never ask you to scan a QR, you will be sent to a fake etsy site.
More Hints that it is an Etsy Scam
Here you will find an extensive list, created by an etsy community member bradgoodell.
- 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”
- The buyer sends you a faked checkout “screenshot” that shows Etsy asking for your email. ETSY ALREADY HAS YOUR EMAIL.
- 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
What to do if you were scammed on etsy
- Report the scam. Report everything to etsy via the Etsy Help Center
- File a chargeback on your credit card: Dispute the charge with your credit card provider and report the fraud charge.
- Change your Etsy password if you accessed any link or 3rd party site immediately.
Be Extra Vigilient: Hackers and scammers may try to get access to your account again, be extra careful with anything received via email regarding Etsy.
