Why HP experts do making contact via private messages?

[Liese1]

Hi, 
I had questions regarding filling level monitoring :

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/HP-Instant-Ink/Observing-ink-levels-to-double-check-with-HPConnected-i...

But I didn't receive feedback within my topic discussion...but via Private Message from an HP expert.
3 times he has written a PM!
Why is an issue / question handling kept outside the community?
In my understanding problem approaches should ALWAYS (at least in 99% - if i.e. no personal data etc is involved) be followed up in the public area!

Regards,
Jörg

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, Jörg:

Those would be scammers, not from HP.

I suggest that you turn the private message service off, and only turn it on if you need to reach out to someone via the private message service.

You can see within the private message service that they warn you about scammers posing as HP support staff.

Paul

[Liese1]

Not sure, the profile looks very trustful.
Not only because of the avatar - but as well the 'HP' tag in orange etc.
>15000 posts

> 1000 Kudos

Still active

That is a spammer?

I just neutralized the profile for the public....

Regards,
Jörg

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I don't know what these spammers are capable of...like if they are able to put fake statistics, join dates and whatnot.

Normally a genuine HP support person would have replied to your public post like in this discussion, and tell you to look for a private message, and not just send you a private message out of the blue.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Community-Feedback-Suggestions/Order-waiting-stock/m-p/7804332#M18428

[Liese1]

So I can report the guy?

Would that help?

Regards,
Joerg

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, I would report the guy and see what they tell you.

If this was a legitimate reply from a HP support agent, then it is highly unorthodox because they all are supposed to post that 'canned' reply when they need to contact you via private message, so you know to be on the lookout for one.