If you receive suspicious communication in Messages, do not respond. To report the message and mark it as spam, select the message in your inbox and then choose Report.
Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a legitimate and reputable source. The goal is to trick you into providing your personal information such as your account email and password, verification codes, or payment details. Sometimes, scammers will direct you to fake websites or impersonate Etsy in text messages, phone calls, or social media posts.
Please report this activity if you encounter it using the Report button in Messages.
How to stay safe while using Messages
When you use the Messages feature on Etsy, it’s important to make sure the message you’re responding to is legitimate.
How can I tell if a message is really from Etsy?
Authentic Etsy messages appear in a From Etsy inbox on Etsy.com and are clearly marked with a "From Etsy" badge below the subject line.
Example of a legitimate Etsy Support message in a From Etsy inbox
You can double check that a message is really from Etsy by looking at the sender’s profile. Legitimate messages from Etsy will always have an “Etsy staff” badge under the account name.
An Etsy Support profile page with an “Etsy staff” badge
When you receive a message from the authentic Etsy staff profile, there may not always be an email notification associated with the message sent by Etsy staff. In some cases, the ability to reply is disabled.
How can I tell if a message is from a scammer pretending to be Etsy?
If someone claims to be an Etsy employee and the message is not located in the From Etsy folder, or does not have the "From Etsy" badge, report the message as spam and don't reply
Example of a phishing attempt where the scammer pretends to be from Etsy Support. The message does not have a “From Etsy” badge.
Some other important things to note about official Etsy communication:
- Etsy will never ask for your password or other sensitive personal information over Messages, such as your phone number or mailing address.
- Etsy won’t make unrequested phone calls without prior notification.
- Etsy doesn’t have a phone number to call for customer service, and any Etsy Support numbers you see circulating online are not legitimate. Learn how to safely contact Etsy Support.
- If action has been taken on your account, you’ll see alerts in your Shop Manager in addition to messages from Etsy in the From Etsy inbox.
- A message from Etsy won’t contain grammatical errors or misspelled words.
What are some other signs that a message might be phishing?
The following characteristics, or any combination of them, may indicate the message is a scam.
- Attempts to move you off of Etsy.com or the Etsy app
- The message includes a link that takes you outside of Etsy’s app or Etsy.com. You’ll see a warning banner stating "You’re about to leave Etsy."
- The sender insists you reply via a personal email address instead of Messages.
- Suspicious language and content
- The sender uses emotionally intense language paired with time-sensitive consequences, such as “respond immediately or your account will be suspended.”
- The message feels generic, with little or no personalization, or has a greeting like “Dear Seller” or “Dear Buyer.”
- You’ve received verbatim or similar messages from different users.
- The message contains a QR code to contact support or verify information.
- The message has unusual formatting, such as varying fonts and strange use of bolding.
- Lack of “From Etsy” badge
- The sender claims the From Etsy folder isn’t working or provides other excuses to explain the absence of the official “From Etsy” badge.
- Attempts to move the transaction off of Etsy.com or the Etsy app
- The sender tries to move the conversation to email for any reason. We recommend you keep all buyer communication in Messages. An email is never required for a buyer to complete a purchase.
- The buyer refuses to go through checkout on Etsy, disqualifying the transaction from Etsy Purchase Protection.
- Suspicious language and content
- The sender sends you a QR code, claiming you need to scan it to confirm their purchase.
- The sender has vague questions that make it seem like they haven’t really looked at your listing.
- Fake gifts or monetary incentives
- The buyer offers to send you more money than you are asking for your item.
How to report a message as spam
If you receive a suspicious message, you can report the message as spam.
Do not respond to the message. Etsy does not recommend engaging with suspicious messages for any reason. Responding will encourage the scammers and may cause you to receive further scam messages.
- Go to You.
- Select Messages.
- Select the suspicious message from your inbox.
- Choose Report.
- Select Messages.
- Select the suspicious message from your inbox.
- Tap the 3 dots on the top right of the message.
- Choose Mark as spam.
- Go to Your account.
- Go to Messages.
- Select the suspicious message from your inbox.
- Choose Report.
This will move the message out of your inbox and into your Spam folder. You won’t receive any new messages from that member in your inbox, and they’ll be unable to reply to messages in an existing thread. They will, however, be able to purchase items from your shop.
If you reported a message accidentally, sign in to your account on Etsy.com and go to your Spam folder, select the message, and choose Not Spam. The member will now be able to send messages to your inbox.
How to tell if you're really on Etsy
Sometimes scammers try to direct their targets to fraudulent sites that look like Etsy. Even if the web address contains the word “Etsy”, it might not be an Etsy website.
If you click on a link in a message and see a warning banner stating “You’re about to leave Etsy,” do not proceed.
Examples of real Etsy addresses:
- community.etsy.com
- help.etsy.com
- www.etsy.com/shop/
Examples of fake Etsy addresses:
- etsy.verify
- login-etsy.com
- etsy.com.@offer
Here is an example of a legitimate page on Etsy with a URL starting with etsy.com.
What to do if you're the target of a scam
If you exchanged money with a suspected scammer, we encourage you to contact your local law enforcement and financial institution.
If you think you sent personal account information to a scammer, please report the message, change your Etsy password, and enable two-factor authentication on your account.
Learn how to make your Etsy account more secure.
If a message seems suspicious or try to direct you off of Etsy, report it immediately. Learn how to identify phishing scams.
If you receive an email or Etsy Message you think is a scam, don’t reply to it. Report it as spam in your email account and don’t reply.
To report a suspicious message in the Etsy app:- Go to You.
- Select Messages.
- Select the suspicious message from your inbox.
- Choose Report.
To report a suspicious message in the Etsy Seller app:
- Select Messages.
- Select the suspicious message from your inbox.
- Tap the 3 dots on the top right of the message.
- Choose Mark as spam.
To report a suspicious message on Etsy.com:
- Go to Your account.
- Go to Messages.
- Select the suspicious message from your inbox.
- Choose Report.
This will move the message to your Spam folder and report it to Etsy, as well as block any further messages from that member.
These characteristics may indicate a scam.
The message:
- Insists you reply via an email address instead of an Etsy Message
- Asks to pay off Etsy with a different payment platform instead of checking out on Etsy. When payment is made off Etsy, Etsy cannot offer Purchase Protection.
- Creates a sense of urgency. The scammer may act like the purchase has to happen immediately, before you have time to reconsider.
- Contains a link that takes you off Etsy
For sellers, the message:
- Asks for your email to complete a purchase
- Sends you a QR code to confirm a purchase
- Asks for additional items to be added to the order
- Offers to send you more money than you are asking for your item
- Sounds like the sender hasn't read or looked at your listing
- Indicates the buyer won't go through Etsy checkout, which would disqualify the transaction from Etsy Purchase Protection
Be wary of attempts to send you to a fraudulent page disguised as Etsy. If you click a link and see a warning banner stating "You’re about to leave Etsy," do not proceed.
Authentic messages from our employees appear in a From Etsy inbox on Etsy and are clearly labeled "From Etsy" below the subject line. If someone claims to be an Etsy employee and you don’t see a "From Etsy" badge, don't reply and report the message as spam.
“Etsy” as part of the sender’s name isn’t enough to mean it’s really from Etsy.
In addition:
- Etsy will never ask for your email to complete a purchase.
- Etsy will never ask for your password.
- Authentic emails from Etsy will direct you to sign in to your Etsy account to complete an action, like updating your bank account.
If you believe you sent money to a scammer off of Etsy, contact the payment method and platform right away, and reach out to local law enforcement.
If you gave your Etsy password to a scammer, change your password on Etsy and any other sites you use that password. Learn what to do if you suspect someone gained access to your account.