(WFSB) – A new online holiday shopping con prompted a warning from the Better Business Bureau.
The Connecticut bureau of the BBB said scammers have been claiming that products people purchased were “out of stock,” and then never processing refunds.
“You see a product online that you want to purchase. Many shoppers report encountering this scam through social media ads,” the BBB explained. “You click on the link to the company’s website, find the product, and check out. Shortly after your card is charged, you receive an email saying the product is out of stock and they will refund your money. You wait several days for the refund to post to your account, but it never does. Then, when you try to contact the online shop, no one responds.”
The BBB said its Scam Tracker received a number of complaints about it.
“I placed an order and received a confirmation and was charged $15.98,” one victim told the BBB. “A few days later, I received an email saying due to low stock I was being refunded. I never received a refund, so I emailed, but the email continuously failed to deliver. I have disputed the charge with my bank.”
The BBB said that the products never existed in the first place, and scammers hoped people would never notice they didn’t get the refund.
If a credit card was used, shoppers should be able to contest the charge and get their money back.
The BBB offered these tips to avoid being scammed:
- Research before you buy. Always research businesses before a…
