SCAMMED on Etsy and mad as hell!

ArtistErin

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since I posted! I have been super busy with contracts and taking classes, developing personal projects and so haven't been on the forum, apologies!

I thought I'd share with you all the nonsense and hell I just endured as a brand new Etsy shop owner. I have so much respect for artists, entrepreneurs and even just a regular person trying to sell something through Facebook marketplace, launching their products in this digital e-commerce world. It's not easy learning the tech, do's and don'ts, marketing, search terms, I mean the list is long.

What is NOT easy is differentiating what is a scam vs. what is authentic. Here's my story:

Yeah... I feel like a complete and total idiot. I consider myself an intelligent person, I was raised with morals and values, and to treat others with kindness. Give people benefit of the doubt, do the best you can in this world and you'll be given that in return, right? I just opened my Etsy shop, and my first listing received a message attached to this listing. It was slick! It looked very professional, with their logo, and it had a QR code that I scanned. DOH DOH DOH! I answered their questions, like a fool. I have been binge watching Etsy You Tube videos, hearing how they can suspend your new shop for any reason with no explanation, so I was trying to head this off, in my mind. $1000 they took, in encremental withdrawals at $200 apiece, and trusting idiot me gave them SMS codes to get it done.

Mistake #2: Told the bank the truth, I had given someone my bank info, I thought it was Etsy verifying my shop! For this reason they "cannot" dispute the charge once it is out of pending mode to posting mode. It's sickening and disheartening. Makes me want to hide and never talk to anyone, not to trust. I know there are good people in this world! However there are lots of really bad people and I learned the scams are getting very sophisticated. And you just have to be wary of EVERYTHING. Going into business in the digital world is not for the naive. I actually found (a little late!!! GRRRR) a video with this scam as one of the insidious ways they go after new shops. OMG. Etsy is so massive, they don't have a whole lot of protection against this, you are kind of on your own figuring out who is who. Anyway, like I said I might be a 100 years older and hopefully wiser.

So if you are thinking about setting up a shop, whether it's on your own website, or Etsy, Shopify, or some other platform these are the things I know to keep your money in your bank, your spidey senses sharp, and to protect yourself:

Scams happen because the scammers know they can use pressure of time, or fear that if you don't act fast, you will incur further damages in the situation "at hand". Banks, platforms, NO ONE that is legit will ever set this tone. This tactic is how they get you pulled off your clarity so they can sink their teeth into getting your bank info from you.
No one should need your bank information. ZERO. End of story. I have heard this before, and now I am saying it! No ONE needs your bank information. And if something is wrong with your account, your bank will send an email, and this is easy to disseminate, because it's coming from a legitimate email address!
If you receive a QR code do not click on it. Do not click on any links attached to any emails, even if it looks real. Anyone can lift a logo off the internet and recreate a legit looking page. I feel like real dumdum because I know this. Omg.
Trust your gut. If you feel inside a "stopping" feeling, then STOP and ask yourself if this is good. Nothing wrong with going to the bank's website, compare their email address, pick up the phone and give them a call, ask a banker if this thing is legit. Likely it's a scam.

No joke, there is a scam designed for everything. It sucks! Mad mad as hell there is so much of this. It doesn't help me to stay angry, so my next solution is to try to educate, and share what happened to me. These scams are getting very very sophisticated. Skimmers at the gas pump, WI-Fi readers picking up on Wi-Fi signals where they don't even have to touch your card! Keep an eye on your bank account, bank wisely (I am setting up Paypal as a buffer between my customers and keeping my account unreachable for transactions. )

Banks will only dispute a charge IF you don't give out information! They will shut it down. OMG if only I knew that before hand, I might've had a chance to get that money back.

Ok! I feel better... sorry for the long post... hope this helps someone. And I'll try to stay current you guys! Life is busy, making art has been my deepest passion... trying to get better at making money from my art, that's another post! XXXOOO

makekong

@ArtistErin We are so sorry that you had to suffer through this.
And I would like to continue with the tips if I may

have one payments account separated from everything so noone can claim fraud on the payment they did and take back your funds after sending the items/services.

-a separate email, phone number, and bank account for your main savings that you dont use anywhere.

My card has limits for everything (transfers, debit purchases etc) and they are all at 5 dollars. In any emergency I can go to the bank or transfer to a second daily expenses card

-have a card for subscription payments. They sell some of these reloadable cards as well so if any website company gets their data compromised you dont get your whole banking information compromised

In my country is awful, everytime you signup for a service or something they sell your email for marketing, and this is so dumb because now the company that bought it “from a bank database” can just send you scam notifications from the bank itself. So after several bad issues I splitted everything up

Nyrryl Cadiz

@ArtistErin hi Erin! I’m so sorry to hear this. There are definitely some evil people out there. This is why I only use my debit card for anything online. They can’t take money from me if my card barely has any. Anyway, I’m so sorry again. Karma will definite bite them in the ass. I wish you all the best

ArtistErin

@makekong Thank you so much! This is what I am digging into now. Learning how all this works... I really appreciate the extra insight into banks handing out scams through email, GRRRRRRRR it never ends.

Curious where you are from? I am in beautiful Colorado, the days are getting warmer and Springtime helps me feel so much better, I suppose I can remind myself of this. After winter, there is spring!

ArtistErin

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Thank you Nyrryl! I know right? I just need to keep my chin up and while taking the bounce is the only choice I have, to move forward and be wiser, it still just sucks rocks. Karma is a beautiful thing, momentum is a science worth studying and I love the fact that no matter where I stand there is always something of value to glean out of it.

Hey how is your illustration career going? I know you signed with an agent last year sometime. How is that going? I think about you sometimes and think how amazing your work is, and your dedication to picture book illustration inspires me

jenn

@ArtistErin I am so sorry to hear about this. I wish I could contribute good advice, but I can only say I feel your frustration and anger! How dare anyone take advantage of artists and creators who have so many hurdles to making a living in the first place. Thank you for sharing your experience, that is a courageous thing to do.

ArtistErin

@jenn Thank you Jenn! I appreciate that! Yeah the walk of shame really sucks. I am glad I can be real with you all, I’d rather help someone than worry about my fragile ego!