Member-only story
What no one tells you about starting an online side hustle: fraudsters will find you
No matter how small you are, fraudsters might knock on your door
My blog dePepi has been around for over 10 years. During this time, it has changed from a pop culture venue to a platform where I offer subscriptions to access my courses. I also promote my books, my self published cards, and share my thoughts with subscribers and those who find my blog.
Transforming my blog into a platform where I can share everything I’ve learned has been a very gratifying but difficult journey. I’ve done everything alone during my free time. It feels both good and exhausting. After some months life, I started to get subscribers which felt amazing. Granted, all chose the cheapest one, $2.05, but the perks you get for allowing me to follow creating are great.
What I didn’t expect was to encounter fraud at this stage and for such a shy subscription. Fraud came in the form of a Chargeback, which transforms into a dispute. (I was working in the area of preventing Fraud, but it was for much bigger transactions… not something as shy of a platform that’s just starting up!)
A chargeback happens when someone encounters a transaction they don’t recognize and contact their bank to have the money back. The bank…
