With consumers getting ready for Black Friday and other Holiday shopping opportunities, Better Business Bureau (BBB) is urging the public to be wary of fake online retailers, following a report on Scam Tracker from a consumer in West Kelowna.
The report shared that the consumer tried to purchase toys from a retailer called Santa's Toy House, using their website www.santastoyhouse.com. The website shared legitimate photographs of the items at prices that were cheaper than more recognized stores. The consumer reported that when they tried to pay, there were no taxes or shipping fees, regardless of the total cost at checkout. There was also no contact information for the business, so they were unable to get any feedback about their concerns.
"As we approach the biggest shopping season of the year, consumers need to be careful as they shop, especially while online, as scammers are setting traps to steal their money and personal information," says Karla Davis, Manager for Community and Public Relations at BBB serving Mainland BC. "Fake online retailers are luring in consumers with low prices and in the end, they may up with poor quality products or worse, nothing at all, with very limited options for recourse".
BBB investigations revealed that Santa's Toy House is a fake online retailer trying to trick consumers into sharing their credit card information. The findings revealed:
Stay safe as you shop online by reading our BBB Tips: Smart Shopping Online.
If you or someone you know has engaged with or fallen victim to a scam, report it to BBB at bbb.org/scamtracker.