Don't be fooled into purchasing a product from an online scammer this holiday season

Rick Walz
·4 min read

Watch out for phony personalized products on social media

A personalized item might seem like the perfect present; however, last-minute shoppers should look out for misleading ads on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok promoting customized gifts. BBB Scam Tracker has gotten numerous reports from people whose purchases ended up being far different from what they thought – if they arrived at all.

How the scam works

While scrolling through social media, an ad comes up for the cutest personalized product. It could be a clothing item with a loved one's name on it, a keychain with a favorite pet’s face, or a paint-by-numbers kit made from a provided photograph. Whatever the case, you click the link to the company’s website. Everything looks legitimate, so you make the purchase with great anticipation.

However, when the order arrives (if it arrives at all), it’s not the quality that was expected or imagined. The personalization might contain errors, or the product may be completely different from what the website described.

The contact for customer service doesn't respond, or if you do speak with someone via phone or email, they assure you they will fix the issue − but never do. In the end, you are left with an undesirable product or no product at all, and no way to get your money back.

One shopper reported this experience buying a custom hoodie online: “After 5 days, I hadn't received a shipping notification and got curious. Returning to the site, I used their tracking option to no result. I called the phone number listed on the site, and it connected to a garage door company.”

Fake deals on gaming consoles trick holiday shoppers

With many people shopping for gifts on a budget this holiday season, scammers are taking advantage of the demand for pricey gaming consoles by promoting fake deals for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and other in-demand systems. Be sure to use caution when buying a console online.

How the scam works

You find a popular gaming console for sale online at a reduced price. Hoping to save some money, you research the seller’s website and find a few positive reviews. Convinced, you make your purchase via PayPal or another online payment method. You receive an email confirmation with shipping information and a tracking number.

If you receive a package at all from the company, it isn’t a gaming console – instead, it is a valueless phone cover or similar small object. Since you technically received a shipment, you will be unable to contest the purchase with the third party who processed the payment.

Attempts to contact the company are useless. No one answers your phone calls or emails. One consumer who never received any package reported to BBB.org/ScamTracker: “I attempted to reach out to the email address on their website, however, I received an email informing me that it was not a valid email address. I then attempted to call the phone number listed on the website, [which gave me] an automatic message informing me that the number was not valid.”

How to avoid social media and online ad scams

  • Research the company before making a purchase. Before entering any personal information to a website, research the company thoroughly. Examine the website. Poor quality images, images found on other websites, and spelling and grammatical errors are all red flags. A real business should have valid contact information (i.e., a working phone number and customer service email address). If the business has a physical address, research it on Google or Apple Maps. Look to see if they have a profile on BBB.org.

  • Look up reviews on other websites. Read as many reviews as possible from websites besides the company selling the product. Keep a close eye out for customer complaints. Search the business name in a trusted search engine along with the word “scam” to see if others have reported the business as a fake.

  • Pay with a credit card. Ideally, use a credit card instead of a debit card since it’s easier to dispute fraudulent charges with a credit card and there is a better chance of getting a refund.

Read more about a tracking code trick that scammers use to dupe online shoppers and how to identify social media ad scams. See BBB's tips for smart shopping online to avoid making purchases from shady companies.

If you’ve been a victim of one of these scams, help out your fellow consumers by filing a scam report at BBB.org/ScamTracker.

Rick Walz is the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Indiana, which serves 23 counties. Contact the BBB at 800-552-4631 or visit www.bbb.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Consumer Advocate: Phony products sold on social media