Scammers, Schemes, & Shady Messages: How to Protect Your Small Business
When I first launched Rise Up Designs, I expected to deal with pricing questions, custom order requests, maybe a few tough customers. But what I didn’t expect was to almost get scammed after posting a tumbler I was super excited about. Let’s talk about something no one really warns you about when you start selling online—scammers. 👿 Soooo here’s what happened, how I almost fell for it, and how you can protect yourself. The Setup: How I Almost Got Scammed I had just finished a super cool tumbler—one of those “wow, this might be my favorite thing I’ve ever made” moments. So naturally, I posted it on social media, thinking nothing of it. A few likes rolled in (yay!), then a comment appeared: 💬 “Is this available for sale?” Cue instant excitement! 🎉 I hadn’t even listed it on Etsy yet, but hey—maybe this was a chance to sell directly through social media. (Spoiler alert: This is where I should have been more cautious.) The Red Flags Started Rolling In 🚩 Urgency, urgency, urgency. The ...