Is Etsy Legit? How To Identify Etsy Scams In 2025

Is It Safe To Buy From Etsy?

Yes. In most cases, it’s safe to buy goods on Etsy. The online marketplace employs multiple safety measures to ensure both buyers and sellers stay safe — including a secure payment platform, a Purchase Protection Program that will refund you in certain situations, and account security features such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and sign-in alerts.

Yet, despite Etsy’s policies and built-in safety measures, scammers have found ways to target both Etsy sellers and buyers.

Etsy scams follow the same format that you might see on other online marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and OfferUp. This includes counterfeit products, fake listings, malicious shop owners, and bait-and-switch scenarios.

If you’re looking to shop on Etsy.com, make sure you’re not falling for one of these common Etsy scams happening in 2025.

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How To Tell If an Etsy Seller or Shop Is Legitimate

The vast majority of shop owners on Etsy are legitimate and safe to buy from. However, there are red flags that can warn you if you’re dealing with a scammer.

Before you make a purchase from an Etsy seller, make sure you follow this safety checklist:

1. Check the store’s profile and sales history. Established stores are generally safer to buy from, as they haven’t been flagged as scams. Be cautious of new sellers or new shops with minimal history or information.
2. Reverse image search product photos. Fake listings and shops will steal images from other stores. If a product image seems suspicious in any way, use Google’s image search (or a website like Tineye) to see where else it appears.
3. Look for fake or negative reviews. Seller reviews can tell you a lot about the legitimacy of a retailer. Look for negative reviews or vague and overly enthusiastic five-star reviews that could have been faked (or written with AI). If in doubt, search the shop name on Google and social media platforms — for example, “[Store/seller name] + reviews/scam/legit.”
4. Beware of long delivery timelines and high shipping costs. Credible Etsy sellers share their shipping timelines and policies on their profile. Beware of anyone who doesn’t list specifics, or who advertises a long delivery time for a supposedly locally made product (which means it’s probably being shipped from overseas).
5. Don’t agree to off-platform payments. The Etsy payment platform offers numerous safe ways to pay for purchases. If someone wants you to pay on a different platform, or with a non-reversible method such as gift cards, wire transfers, or apps like Venmo or Cash App, it’s a scam.
6. Watch out for links to external websites. Some scam sellers may link out to product listings on other platforms or even fake websites. Etsy’s Purchase Protection Program won’t apply to purchases made on other websites or e-commerce stores.  
7. Take response time into consideration. A delayed response time doesn’t automatically mean you’re dealing with a scammer, but any seller who takes longer than 24 hours to respond should raise suspicions.
8. Never provide personal information directly. This includes your contact details, payment information, or any other sensitive details. If a seller asks for this information directly, report them.

Etsy scams can change over time, but these red flags of a fake or malicious seller are almost always the same. Keeping an eye out for them will help keep Etsy safe for you to use.

💡 Related: How To Shop Online Safely (Without Getting Scammed) →

The 9 Latest Etsy Scams You Need To Watch Out For

Etsy scams range from counterfeit and misleading products to shipping scams, hacked accounts, and fake reviews. Here are the latest Etsy scams happening right now that you need ot know about:

1. Fake or counterfeit products

The most common Etsy scam by far involves sellers listing fake, counterfeit, or misrepresented products in their stores. Many of these product listings claim to be made locally or by hand, when in reality, the sellers use dropshipping to deliver them from mass manufacturers.

For example, the Etsy Scams Twitter account posted about one store that had sold nearly 40,000 pieces of jewelry listed as “self made” or vintage items. In reality, the items were mass produced and being sold on AliExpress at a fraction of the price.

💡 Related: How To Tell If Someone Is Scamming You Online →

2. Scam Etsy shops that steal your money

In more extreme cases, scammers set up entirely fake stores and list popular products at too-good-to-be-true prices. These shops rarely stay open for long — but they could be live long enough for you to send them money.

Even if you’re able to halt the payment through your bank or get a refund from Etsy, the seller still has access to your personal information that they could use to steal your identity.

While Etsy has taken measures to reduce the number of fake stores on the platform, many are still able to operate.

3. Receiving wrong or inferior items

In this scam, sellers purposefully write misleading product descriptions and then send you a different, cheaper, or inferior product to what you thought you were buying.

While you can submit a complaint through Etsy’s buyer protection program with the reasoning that the item “differs significantly from the item description”, you may not always get a refund. According to Etsy’s legal policies, Etsy won’t refund you for “items that are accurately described but don’t meet a buyer’s expectations.”

4. Sellers shipping items to the wrong address

As a marketplace, Etsy has systems in place to protect both buyers and sellers. One, which scammers take advantage of, protects sellers against buyers claiming they never received their orders.

In this scam, fraudsters purposefully put the wrong address on a shipment — often one they control. When you try to request a refund or submit a claim with Etsy, the fraudsters can “show” that the item was delivered.

Scammers may also use stolen or fake USPS tracking numbers to prove that the items were delivered — and steal your money.

💡 Related: Was Your Amazon Package Stolen? Here’s What To Do →

5. Bait-and-switch with higher priced listings

In this scam, fraudsters open multiple stores across Etsy and other platforms (like eBay), and list the same products at different price points. For example, they may list the same item for $50, $100, and $200 to see how much they can make on it. If you try to buy it at a lower price, they’ll tell you it’s out of stock and link you to a different, more expensive listing.

6. Off-platform payment requests

Purchases made on Etsy are either protected by Etsy’s Buyer Protection or through your credit card’s fraud protection. In this scam, fraudsters claim to have issues with Etsy’s payment system, or they offer you a “special discount” if you pay them through gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, or payment apps like PayPal or Venmo.

The problem? Funds disbursed via all of these payment methods are almost impossible to refund or trace once you’ve sent them. Even worse, if you pay for an item outside of the Etsy website, you’ll be unable to file a dispute or get a refund.

💡 Related: Did You Get Scammed on Cash App? Here’s What To Do →

7. Etsy account hijacking

Scammers use phishing emails, malware, fake websites, or fraudulent Etsy support numbers listed in search results to trick both Etsy buyers and sellers into giving up their account information.

For buyers, a hacked Etsy account gives scammers access to your credit card information, address, and other sensitive information.

For sellers, hackers can redirect payments, change your account information, and steal financial information and other data from your customers.

8. Etsy employee imposters requesting personal information

Some con artists will impersonate Etsy employees, such as customer support, and reach out to both buyers and sellers requesting personal information. For example, they may claim that there has been suspicious activity on your account and ask you to “confirm” your password and other sensitive information.

Make sure any emails you receive come from an official “etsy.com” email address. Scammers often create lookalike domains or subdomains to trick you into thinking they’re legitimate (for example, “Esty.io” or “Etsy.track-shipments.com”).

💡 Related: How To Tell if An Email Is From a Scammer →

9. Links to malicious websites in listings and messages

Hackers may also use Etsy as a means to send victims links to malicious websites or virus downloads. For example, they could pose as either a buyer or seller and send messages with a hidden link that, when clicked, leads to a fake website asking for your Etsy account login information. If you provide it, scammers gain access to your account.

What To Do If You Get Scammed on Etsy

If you got scammed on the Etsy platform, follow these steps to secure your account, try and recover your money, and protect yourself against further identity theft and fraud.

• Contact the Etsy seller directly. If you haven’t done so already, your first step should be to request a refund from the seller. They’ll have 48 hours to rectify the issue before you can escalate it to the Etsy team.
• File a support ticket with Etsy directly. If the seller doesn’t respond or refuses to send a refund, open a support ticket directly with Etsy. Etsy’s support is known to be slow — but a support ticket is proof to use when submitting a fraud claim with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or FBI.  
• File a chargeback with your credit card company. If you paid for the item with your credit card, you can file a dispute to request that they give you your money back.
• Change your Etsy account password. If there is any chance that scammers may have access to your profile, you should change your password immediately. This will make it harder for them to intercept your account again.  
• Freeze your credit. Contact each of the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — to request a credit freeze. This stops scammers from using your personal information to take out loans or open new accounts in your name.
• Report the fraud to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Alert the FTC about the fraud to help others avoid becoming victims. If you think scammers gained access to your personal information or Etsy account, file an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov.
• Monitor your credit and bank statements. Scammers may try to access your financial accounts or take out loans in your name. Monitor your credit and bank statements for any suspicious activity. Or, use a credit monitoring service like Aura to protect your data for you.
• Consider signing up for identity theft protection. Aura’s top-rated identity theft protection service monitors your most sensitive information, financial accounts, and online credentials for signs of fraud. Every Aura plan also includes powerful online security tools — such as antivirus software, a virtual private network (VPN), password manager, and more — as well as 24/7 U.S.-based Fraud Resolution Specialists and $1,000,000 insurance coverage for eligible losses due to identity theft.

How To Stay Safe When Shopping on Etsy

While the vast majority of users won’t have any issues shopping on Etsy, you don’t want to be among the unlucky few who end up getting scammed.

Stay safe while shopping on Etsy by keeping an eye out for the warning signs of a scam seller, securing your account with a strong password and two-factor authentication (2FA), and keeping the transaction on the Etsy platform.

For even more protection, consider signing up for Aura’s award-winning online safety solution.