Fake Online Stores
That amazing deal in a social media ad may be a store that takes your money and never ships a thing.
Scammers build convincing online stores and advertise them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and KakaoTalk, often with huge discounts on brand-name goods. After you pay, one of three things happens: nothing arrives, a cheap counterfeit arrives, or something worthless (like a random trinket) arrives so the tracking shows "delivered." The store then stops answering messages, and the website may vanish entirely. Fake sellers also appear inside real marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, asking for payment by Zelle or wire before you ever see the item.
Watch: how this scam works
Published by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission · 3:28 Open the original
Warning signs
- Prices are far below what everyone else charges. 70-90% off brand names is a classic bait.
- The store only appeared recently, has no phone number or physical address, and its "About Us" page is vague.
- The seller insists on payment by Zelle, Venmo, wire transfer, gift card, or crypto, methods with no buyer protection.
- The website address is odd: a misspelled brand name or a strange ending instead of the brand's real site.
- Reviews are all five stars posted around the same date, or you find complaints when you search the store name plus "scam."
- A countdown timer pressures you: "Only 3 left! Sale ends in 10 minutes!"
How to protect yourself
- Before buying from an unfamiliar store, search its name plus the word "scam" or "reviews."
- Pay with a credit card whenever possible. Credit cards let you dispute charges and get your money back. Zelle and wire transfers do not.
- If a deal looks too good to be true, it is. Check the price on the brand's official site.
- Be careful with ads on social media and in KakaoTalk group chats. Anyone can buy an ad.
- For local marketplace purchases, meet in a public place and never pay in advance for an item you have not seen.
If it happened to you
- Contact your credit card company or bank right away and dispute the charge, even if the seller promises a refund "soon."
- Save everything: the ad, the website address, order confirmation, receipts, and all messages with the seller.
- If you paid through PayPal or another payment service, open a dispute there too.
- Report the store. Your report can get the ads taken down and warn other shoppers.