Common Etsy Scams and How to Avoid Them

New Etsy sellers must be vigilant against scams that can compromise their accounts and personal information.

### Protecting New Etsy Sellers from Common Scams
* 🛡 New Etsy sellers are often targeted by scammers who exploit their **excitement for sales**, leading them to **click on dangerous links** or **share sensitive information**.
* 🔗 One prevalent scam involves sending links to fraudulent listings, which can **compromise your computer and personal information**; it's crucial to **never click on links in Etsy messages**.
* 📧 Another scam involves buyers claiming they need your email to complete a purchase, which is false since **"a buyer would never need to know your email"** for transactions.
* 🔐 To enhance security, enabling **two-factor authentication** on your Etsy account can **significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access**.
* 💳 Be wary of buyers who insist on paying outside of the Etsy platform, as this **circumvents Etsy's purchase protection**, leaving you **vulnerable to fraud**.
* 🔍 Scammers may also offer marketing help for a fee, but sharing your login credentials can lead to **severe consequences**, including **account suspension** and **loss of sales**.
* 🚫 Etsy warns against various scams, such as overpayment schemes and requests to communicate outside of Etsy, emphasizing the **importance of trusting your instincts** and **marking suspicious messages as spam**.
* 🌐 Finally, remember that **scams can occur on other platforms too**, so stay vigilant and rely on **official channels for any purchases or communications** related to your business.

If you're new to selling on Etsy, then you need to know about these super common Etsy scams where scammers try and target new Etsy sellers. When you're new and haven't gotten many or even any sales yet, someone messaging you wanting to purchase 5, 10, or even 25 items from your store can blind you into clicking on something that maybe you wouldn't normally have because you're so excited about getting the sales. But in today's video, we'll go over the most common scams and how to avoid them, that way you don't fall for them in the future. The first scam is someone sending you a link to someone else's listing on Etsy to ask you to make something similar. These links can look really real and super similar to a real Etsy link, with just a few sneaky differences, and will give someone access to your computer or your information. So the first tip in this video to keep yourself safe from these types of scammers is just in case, never click any kind of link in your Etsy messages. Someone wants to send you

something or ask you to make something. Ask them to send you a screenshot, as this is just the safest way to make sure you're always protected. Even if it seems like someone has really good intentions, the most common scam that I've been hearing about recently, though, is a scam where an Etsy buyer messages you, saying that they can't cash out on Etsy until they enter in your email. They'll even send you screenshots of really realistic Etsy pages, making it look like Etsy's actually the one asking for this, but that is not the case. A buyer would never need to know your email to be able to purchase an item, and this is just another way that they're trying to scam you. I'd guess that the end game of this scam is for them to gain access to your Etsy account, and so for that reason, that brings us to lesson number two in keeping your account safe from scammers: turning on the two-factor authentication on Etsy. So this is when Etsy, when you have to log in, will actually text you or email you a code.

that you have to type in to confirm. That way, it'll be much more difficult for someone to hack into your Etsy account. A third common scam is a buyer refusing to actually pay through the Etsy platform and coming up with different excuses as to why it won't let them and wanting to pay you through something else like Venmo or PayPal. Now, this is definitely a scam. They are trying to skirt around the Etsy purchase protection that covers you against any fraudulent buyers and covers the buyers against fraudulent sellers. So, don't ever let someone try and pay you any other way than the Etsy platform. The fourth scam is people messaging you wanting to help you with your Etsy store's marketing and promotions. They'll log into your account and help you with these things for a fee. And maybe there's real businesses out there that do offer services like this, but I've heard of multiple scammers doing this to Etsy sellers and trying to change their banking information and take the money from their Etsy account. Now, this is something I'd be really, really careful

with giving anyone your actual login credentials to Etsy. I know one person in particular, a friend of mine, who tried to hire someone to do his customer service, and she did exactly that. She tried to change the banking information to a bank in another country, and because of that, Etsy did flag this as a potential scam, and they suspended his store for a week while everything got sorted out, and he lost out on a lot of sales. Now, luckily, they didn't steal any money from him, but he did lose out on a lot of money from what the sales would have gotten that week. So, be really, really careful ever giving anyone your login information. I'd say if you can avoid it, I'd recommend just not giving it to anyone ever. A few other scams that Etsy mentions on their website are things like overpayment scams, where they ask you to let them overpay for the item by Venmoing you or PayPal, and you including a gift card with the item, sending you a QR code for you to scan to confirm their

purchase and insisting that you message with them outside of the Etsy messenger, like on your email instead. So, if anything ever feels fishy on the Etsy messages, it probably is. Trust your instincts, and anytime you get a weird message, just mark it as spam. When you're in your Etsy message, you'll see that button right at the top. And don't worry about needing to reply to every single customer because of your star seller badge and needing to reply within 24 hours. If you mark these as spam, then it won't count against your star seller badge, and then you don't even need to reply to them. Just put it in the spam folder and move on. So, remember, there's quite a few ways that you can keep your account protected. You can turn on two-factor authentication, never give your login information to anyone else, make sure you have a really strong password that isn't the same as anything else that you have that might also get hacked, and most importantly, never click on any links inside of your messages, no matter how genuine they seem. And just as

a side note: Etsy isn't the only place where people are trying to scam you. Here in my very own YouTube comments, there's people a few times a month that will pretend to be me. They'll make their name something very similar to mine, and they'll use even my exact same photo and ask you to message them on Telegram or on WhatsApp. And they'll offer to sell you things like my course, a mentorship program, or other products, and then you'll get nothing in return because it's all just a scam. So please know that I will never message you on Telegram or WhatsApp or anywhere else, and I will only ever be selling you things on my website, CassieJohnson.com, or on my mockup store, Stop Mock and Roll. I try really hard to get these scammers out of my comments, but they find new and creative ways to get in there. So just please be safe, and if something seems like an odd message from me, just know it probably isn't. And feel free to check out my website, CassieJohnson.com, for

all of the resources that I offer. I have a free mini course that, if you haven't started your Etsy and print-on-demand store, will walk you through starting and setting up your Etsy and Printify accounts, and even creating your first listing step by step in an eight-module mini course. I have my income and expense report that'll help you price your items to make sure you're making a profit by including the Etsy fees, and also help you track your income and expenses to make tax time so much easier. I also have my print-on-demand niche calendar that has over 40 different niches to sell in all throughout the year, so you never miss a holiday within your store. And lastly, I do have my course, the Pod Roadmap, which is a full A to Z roadmap of exactly how I built my Etsy print-on-demand business, and that has helped over 400 students this year alone start and scale their very own businesses, all with the help of a super supportive private community that we have on Discord as

well, and my link for my site will be down in the description if you want to check any of that out. I'll set up a video for you to watch next. That's the five shirts that you should never sell in your store. And as always, thank you for staying all the way until the end. Stay safe, and I'll see you in the next [Music] one.

⚠️ DO NOT GET SCAMMED! ⚠️ Avoid These Common Etsy Scams!

Cassiy Johnson

Scammers often target new Etsy sellers with messages offering to purchase multiple items, leading to potential phishing.

One common scam involves sending fake Etsy links, which can compromise your computer and personal information.

Another scam involves buyers requesting your email to cash out, but this is not necessary for a purchase.

To protect yourself, avoid clicking on links in messages and enable two-factor authentication on your Etsy account.

Scammers may try to hack into your Etsy account by requesting your login credentials.

Buyers who refuse to pay through the Etsy platform and offer alternative payment methods are likely running a scam.

Additionally, individuals offering marketing and promotion services for your Etsy store may be fraudulent, attempting to change your banking information and steal money from your account.

Protecting Yourself from Scams on Etsy and Social Media

Be cautious of sellers insisting on communicating outside of Etsy's messenger, as it may indicate a scam.

Marking suspicious messages as spam won't affect your star seller badge, allowing you to avoid unwanted interactions.

Additionally, protect your account with two-factor authentication, a strong password, and by avoiding clicking on links in messages.

Resources for Starting an Etsy and Print-on-Demand Store

I offer a free mini course with eight modules to help you set up your Etsy and Printify accounts and create your first listing.

My income and expense report is designed to help you price your items for profit and track your finances for easier tax preparation.

Additionally, I provide a niche calendar with over 40 selling niches throughout the year and a comprehensive course, the Pod Roadmap, which has helped over 400 students start and scale their own businesses, supported by a private Discord community.

The link to the site will be in the description for more information.

A video will be set up next, discussing the five shirts that should never be sold in a store.

Thank you for watching, and the creator looks forward to seeing viewers in the next video.