Online Shopping Scams

Non-delivery fraud is one of the most commonly reported internet crimes: you pay for something that never arrives, arrives counterfeit, or never existed. Fake storefronts are cheap to build, heavily advertised on social media, and designed to disappear before the complaints roll in.

Common Types of Shopping Scams:

• Fake Online Stores: Professional-looking sites (often mimicking real brands) advertise popular products at deep discounts, take your payment, and ship nothing, or a worthless substitute.
• Social Media Ad Traps: Scam shops rely on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook ads with stolen product photos and fake countdown timers.
• Marketplace Fraud: On Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay, "sellers" demand payment by Zelle, Venmo, or gift cards, then vanish. Pet and vehicle listings are frequent bait.
• Counterfeits: You do receive the item, but it's a knockoff that may be unsafe as well as worthless.
• Non-Payment (for sellers): A "buyer" sends a fake payment confirmation or overpayment and asks you to ship the item or refund the difference.

Key Red Flags:

• Prices dramatically below every other retailer. This is the bait that powers almost all of these scams.
• A store with no physical address, no working phone number, and no order history you can verify.
• Payment requested by wire transfer, gift card, crypto, or peer-to-peer apps like Zelle, none of which carry buyer protection.
• A website created weeks ago (check the domain at lookup.icann.org) or with a slightly misspelled brand name.
• Reviews that are all five stars, all recent, and all vague.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Pay with a credit card: It offers the strongest fraud protection and chargeback rights. Never wire money or send gift cards to a store.
• Research unknown sellers: Search the store name plus "scam" or "reviews" before buying, and check the Better Business Bureau.
• Type the address yourself: Instead of clicking an ad or link, go to the retailer's known website directly.
• Keep records: Save order confirmations and screenshots. They're essential for disputes and reports.