Cheap 3rd Party Items
Good morning and welcome back to Fraud Fridays! I apologize for the delay. This was supposed to be for last week, then new information came to light forcing me to retype half of this. Without further ado, let's talk about cheap 3rd party items!
Many websites offer expensive products including electronics, clothes, watches, and more at relatively low prices. After all, everyone likes a good sale! The customer likes thinking they're getting a deal, and the money-grubbing corpo likes making it seem like you get a deal. As much of a scam the daily grind may be, it still doesn't hold a flame to some of the low-effort tactics used by certain scammers. Let's take a deeper dive into what the 3rd party item scam entails and a few different ways this scam may present itself.
You have been scouring the web for the cheapest place to find your HP 65XL ink cartridge. Seventeenth one this week, a constant reminder to get any other type of printer. HP, $33.99, another at $43.99. Oh, another at $23.99. Japic HP compatible? $20.31. Worth it? If you've ever used an HP printer, you probably know it's not. If you're adventurous, good luck. Purchases like these are definitely a risky play. Some of these are certainly legitimate products; however, even a legitimate product can be a scam. Anyone who's used a mad dogs controller knows what I mean. I see you little brothers of the world. This scam is certainly more prevalent in the clothing industry than printer inks, but I believe you get the point. You receive a cheap knock-off and they receive your money and run. Now, what actually happens in this scam?
As mentioned earlier, some sites are selling cheap knock-offs. Some will just take your money and run.
What to do if you think you're involved with this scam: Contact your bank or credit card and dispute the charge.
How to avoid: The sites often have every brand-name shoe or fashion item (Air Jordan, Yeezy, Gucci, etc) in stock and often at a discounted price. The site will claim to be an outlet for a major brand or even a specific line or item. The site will have images at the bottom claiming to be Secured by Norton or various official payment processors but not actual links. The site will have poor grammar and a hodge podge of categories. Recently, established websites will get hacked or their domain name jacked and turned into scam stores, meaning the domain name of the store will be completely unrelated to the items they're selling. If the deal sounds too good to be true it probably is. Nobody is offering brand new iPhones, Beats, or Nintendo Switches for 75% off.
If you've encountered fake sellers, you can report them to the ftc. Thank you for stopping by and have a fantastic Friday!