Better Business Bureau serving Canton Region and Greater West Virginia offers tips and advice for consumers to avoid fraudulent practices.
Scammers are taking advantage of would-be Instagram influencers by tricking them into buying over-priced products that allegedly support a charity. Instead of gaining followers and helping a good cause, the influencers end up losing money.
How the scam works
You receive a direct message on Instagram that appears to come from a charity or from a business claiming to have partnered with a charity. The representative wants to know if you would be interested in becoming a “model” or “brand ambassador” for their new campaign. This promotion is allegedly supporting a nonprofit – recent reports to BBB.org/ScamTracker mention everything from environmental conservation to women’s rights to LGBTQ youth.
It sounds like a great gig! The “representative” sends you a discount code to purchase the products they want you to model. The prices in the online store are high, but, according to the representative, the sales go to support the charity.
Unfortunately, there is a catch. Victims report purchasing items – often T-shirts – that never arrive. In some cases, the charity never even existed. In others, the charity is real, but scammers used their name without their knowledge, and the nonprofit never received money from the sales.
How to spot an influencer scam
- Ask questions. Targets of this con told BBB.org/ScamTracker that when they…
