PSA: Watch Out for Scam “Sales”

I've been reading a lot about scams recently and, to be honest, always thought it was something senior citizens fell victim to. (Or, of course, people trying to marry into Nigerian royalty.) One of the stories I read recently sent me to Chase Bank‘s tips on spotting scams, and what I saw there surprised me.

Here's one of the scams going around that you might fall prey to: a “sale” on your favorite brand. “Scammers create ads on social media offering merchandise at great prices and set up bogus websites that all look exactly like genuine retailers. They’ll collect personal information or ask you to pay with a digital payment platform like Zelle^® when you go to “check out.”” Then, the merchandise never shows up.

The site provided more details:

I was scrolling on social and saw a sale ad for one of my favorite brands. It looked just like other ads I’d bought from before. The discount was really good, so I clicked on it and went to what looked exactly like their website, even with the free shipping headline.

When I went to check out, I thought it was odd I couldn’t find a place for my credit card, just options for digital payment platforms like Zelle^®. But I thought no big deal and paid with Zelle^®. I got suspicious when I didn’t get a confirmation email right away like I usually do. I waited about three weeks, but the merchandise never showed up. I tried to put in a claim for fraud with my bank, but I was told there’s no way to get my money back.

Yikes. I'm not sure if I would have been suspicious if the only means of payment was cash — but now I definitely will be on the alert, and I thought I'd pass along to you guys also.

Readers, have you been hit by any scams? What would you tell your pre-scammed self, if you could?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / artursz.

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