Black Friday/Cyber Monday shoppers warned of sneaker scam
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2019 16:31:06 +0000
Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers are being warned about an online scam that involves rare sneakers.
The Better Business Bureau says in the past few months the bureau has received 33 reports from shoppers who paid hundreds of dollars for hard-to-find custom kicks, but never received their items.
The scam starts with an advertisement or post that pops up on Instagram promoting a special sale for a rare pair of sneakers. The BBB did not say what brand of shoes were being sold as fakes.
BBB spokesperson Karla Davis said the shoes are likely being marketed to collectors of unique or rare edition trainers.
Davis said the account is run by someone who also claims to collect and resells sneakers, and it seems legitimate. The seller may also have great photos and a lot of followers.
To buy the sneakers, you need to send a direct message to the seller and after some back and forth communication, which includes pictures of the shoes to convince you that they are real, you are asked to make a payment using CashApp, Venmo, or another online payment platform.
However, the shoes never arrive.
When you contact the seller, the bureau says the person may promise you a refund, which never materializes. One consumer reported that after several attempts to get a refund, the merchant blocked the consumer on social media.
The bureau advises consumers research the seller, read comments and reviews, and check BBB.org for potential scams.
It also says shoppers should use a safe payment method. Apps like Venmo, Facebook Pay and CashApp were designed to allow friends, family members, and coworkers send money to each other, but the BBB advises not using them with a stranger.
ticrawford@postmedia.com