Help! Buyer wants to place a large order but gets this seller prompt instead?

[WHS_Designs]

this is more of time-dependent question for Zazzle mods, but if any Zazzle creators have ever encountered this situation, please feel free to chime in:

I've been corresponding with a potential client who wants to place a bulk order, but he tells me that he is unable to do so. he has forwarded me the following link** for me (as the seller) to verify. 

** which comes from a site called verify.vinordsale.com 



question #1: since when have Zazzle creators been considered sellers?
question #2: why would I, a Zazzle creator, need to verify my account with a bank or credit card?
question #3: why would Zazzle use verify.vinordsale.com at all?

[Mariholly]

I don't know, but it seems strange. I have a client who usually orders business cards and display plaques. It might not be considered wholesale because they are many orders of small quantities, but they can amount to commissions over $600, making the total amount of their order considerable, and they do it several times a year, bless them, and nothing like this has ever happened. Have you looked into that website?

[WHS_Designs]

@Mariholly 

I already had suspicions about this chat request when I received it this morning. I did take a closer look at the website. 

Here's what really threw me. See the LIVE link on the left side of the page? Zazzle doesn't offer LIVE anymore.
That's the big red flag. When I clicked on each of the other links on the left, they didn't open up with the flyout menus that you see on the Zazzle site. Instead, they all show direct links to zazzle.com. Those are the other big red flags.

I'm posting this screengrab here as a teaching moment. The copying of the Zazzle website is pretty intricate if you don't give it a second glance. The scams are getting more and more sophisticated.

To the Zazzle mods, if you require the specific link, please send me a private chat request.

[klstock]

So the new 2AF verification using a phone number did not prevent this spam. 

[WHS_Designs]

@klstock This would be the second instance of scammers getting through to me on Chat since the 2AF system was implemented

[klstock]

I have zero cases of scammers getting through to me since the 2AF was implemented.... because I didn't give my phone number and I can no longer use chat. It's working like a charm!😋

[WHS_Designs]

@klstock I see that I have the option of removing my cell phone number from my account settings and I may just do that!

[Malissa]

This is spam.  Do not click the link

even zazzle could not verify his link. he would need to contact his card company.

[WHS_Designs]

@Malissa thanks, Malissa. This is the root URL, which you can see, by entering it, does not even pull up a webpage. I left off the string of characters that followed it on purpose, to keep people from accidentally hitting the Verify button.

[PenguinPower]

This sounds like a scam to me... never follow a link that asks for credit card information.. 

[WHS_Designs]

@PenguinPower 

Yep. Seeing the 'seller verification page' really sealed the deal for me.

My potential client kept mentioning [Zazzle] support in his replies to me.
(Zazzle Customer Service is closed on the weekends).

[JimCarnicelli]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I could see at least one person getting suckered by this sort of scam.

[Fiona · Accepted solution]

Hey WHS_Designs,

That looks like spam. Please see this guide on how to recognize chat spam:

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/19849126955927-How-to-Deal-with-Chat-Spam-on-Zazzle-A-Comp...

-Fiona😊

[WHS_Designs]

@Fiona 

Thanks for the detailed help article. (incidentally, the spammer did come up with the label Zazzle User).