Fake Forever 21 sales target online shoppers: How to spot the red flags
Scammers are taking advantage of Forever 21’s bankruptcy by creating fake websites and social media ats with deals that are too good to be true.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scammers are taking advantage of Forever 21’s recent bankruptcy announcement and store closures to trick shoppers looking for deals, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Juliana O’Rork, a BBB representative, warns that fraudsters are creating fake websites and social media ads mimicking liquidation sales to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting customers.
“Scammers will create social media ads with explosive prices, going out of business sales, and really try to entice people to click on the ads to go to fake websites and spend their money on things that they will never receive,” O’Rork explained.
With Forever 21 joining Joann Fabrics as the latest major retailer to announce bankruptcies and closures, consumers should be careful when shopping these sales online.
How to spot fake websites
The BBB recommends looking for these red flags that might indicate a fraudulent website:
- Check that the website URL begins with “HTTPS” and has a secure symbol
- Watch for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes
- Be suspicious of excessive urgency to “buy now”
- Use reverse Google image searches to verify product photos
- Be wary of discounts that seem too good to be true
“If you’re seeing 80% to 90% off, they’re going to tout really great prices,” O’Rork said. “We know most of the time when these companies have going out of business sales, they are going to have pretty great sales, but they’re not going to be giving away stuff for free.”
Tips for safe shopping
When shopping online, especially through social media ads, O’Rork suggests:
- Hover over ads to check the actual URL before clicking
- If an ad claims to be from a specific company but shows a strange URL with random numbers and letters, it’s likely a scam
- Go directly to the company’s official website instead of clicking on ads
- Remember that legitimate closing sales will have limits on their discounts
“Just be cautious anytime you’re looking to potentially purchase from a company that is going out of business,” she advised. “Oftentimes there’s not going to be a lot of recourse, hence they’re going out of business.”
The BBB also warns consumers about similar phishing scams involving fake subscription renewal notices, recommending people verify any unexpected payment requests directly through their accounts.