11/02/2024
WARNING TO FELLOW ARTISTS AND FOLKS IN GENERAL
Things I have learned-
1 NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM A LINK IN A FB POST. If you like it, go directly to Amazon or the companies’ website, look up product name and buy it there. Lots of influencers out there want you to buy something from their page because they get monetized (paid for sales generated from their links). I wish FB spent as much time protecting us from scammers as they do in banning people from opposing political opinions.
2. Venmo NEVER requires your email address for folks to pay you. You have a QR code or Venmo handle.
3. Venmo never holds funds until a business “minimum balance” is achieved. Requiring that you “refund” back to the buyer the extra balance “before” the money gets put in your account. (I am Not stupid sparky)
4. All transactions in venmo show up in your account. Never in an email sent from a Gmail account (did you really think I was that stupid)
5. Never call the number they send you in “official” email. Go to the company’s verified website. Call customer support.
6. Never accept direct online sales. (If you personally know someone this isn’t an issue) If you are an artist, tell them you conduct business through your ETSY account. Tell them you will reserve the item for you but it must be sold through Etsy. If they tell you they don’t have an account, send the link to get a free buyers account. ETSY acts as a middle man and your transactions are protected.
7. Verify all emails sent to you by the company requiring financial action on your part. Venmo doesn’t use GMail
8. Verify addresses where they want you to send the product. (they wanted me to send the wreath to a daycare center- I called the daycare Center - never made the request. Never heard of person (false name)
9. Don’t let anyone rush you to do something. I was told that their account had been debited and they couldn’t get their money back. (How bad to sad). Venmo doesn’t do business that way. Business to business doesn’t have a minimum transaction amount. You can always cancel a transaction.
10. Read the email carefully. Grammar mistakes? Question it.
11. If they require you refund money before the money can be put in your account… scam. If they won’t tell you their name- scam… you get the idea.
12. Never call the number they include in the link. The scammer told me they got the same email I did and that they required that I phone the number in the email so they could get their money back. I told them that I was on the phone with Venmo and there was no pending transaction and they don’t require minimum balances. All communication ended.
In Venmo, you have a QR code and a . Use those. They don’t need your email nor your phone number. Venmo doesn’t require that they need an email to conduct business to business transactions. Venmo doesn’t hold money from your account until you “refund” the extra. If the “person” asks- Can I trust you? DON’T Trust them.
This all started because I listed my wreaths on my Desert Nights Studio page. I was sharing the art that I had been working on (that page is public) I included some # links ( and . )
I was flattered that someone wanted to buy one of my wreaths. Never let your ego blind you to using good sense. AI is making scamming much easier. Please be careful out there.
