Scams, Spam and Small Business

Congratulations! You have won a million dollars! Oh, how I wish…

The internet is a great resource for many things. From education to connection, there are many things to love. But like anything in life, there is always the bad that comes with the good. And the bad I’m writing about today is scams and spam – which I am sure you have had your fair share of experiences of.

Let’s start with scams. I’m no stranger to scams – I like think I’m reasonably diligent in spotting suspicious texts and emails. However, one method of scams has been popping up in my inbox a lot recently, and if you’re a small business owner yourself: you might want to read this!

I received a Facebook message moments after uploading a post of our market events. The person I was talking to was eager to buy one of the shawls displayed in our post. I should have been elated – but something about the speed of the message had alarm bells ringing in my ears. They claimed to be from the United States but ‘conveniently’ had a relative that lived in Sydney. I rejected their request because I got a really weird vibe from the conversation, and left it at that.

Since the time that Meta updated their apps to include the Meta AI feature, I have seen an influx of messages like this, particularly targeting crocheted items. They happen moments after a post has been uploaded, using the same emoticons and asking the same question. Half of them target the same shawl. And half of them ask if ‘this’ is still available, on a picture that has at least a dozen products in the photo!

No. Thank. You.

Blocked. Reported. Deleted. (After I egg them on a bit and watch them dig themselves into holes.)

I have heard of far too many small businesses losing money and products – and I certainly don’t want to be a part of that statistic.

Spam – is there anything more frustrating than spam bots? As a social media consumer, it is always irritating to click on a comment section, expecting some engaging conversation, only to find a cluster of bots.

“Send pic to XYZ-Totally-Not-A-Spam-Account!” is one of the most common spam comments I receive online. Perhaps I should be flattered that all these bots want pictures! But alas, each and every one I catch gets blocked and deleted, or responded to with a robot emoji.

I have already dipped into how spams and scams impact my small business, but the wound runs deeper than that. It’s a never-ending battle with mindless drones that merely regenerate – if they are miraculously removed by social media sites at all. For myself, it is not an experience I like to highlight regularly – because I know so many of you endure this curse as well.

It is disheartening to see this issue present all across social media platforms. Even on the apps that I do not use (looking at you Threads and Previously-Was-Bird app), I always hear the same experiences of an influx of bots that ruin the space for everyone.

On one hand, it feels good to write about. But on the other, it feels like a drop of water in the ocean. I’m certainly not the only one who has addressed this issue, especially as so many others before me have brought it to light and nothing has been done. So, what can we do?

I get the notification. I sigh internally. The scammers and spam bots are dealt with. And the world continues to turn – that is my ritual.

How do you feel about spam bots? How do you keep yourself safe from scams – particularly as a small business in a big bot world?

Have a wonderful day,

Kimberley (they/them)

Accessories by Antoinette