Scams going around · Social media and messaging apps
Fake shopping ad on social media
Pretends to be a well-known brand, or a real online store. An ad in your social media feed (the posts you scroll through) offers brand-name items at a very low price. The link can take you to a fake store built to take your money or personal information. If you pay, you may get a cheap fake or nothing at all.
An example of what it can look like
Not a real message: the details are made up.
Sponsored ad in your feed: Designer Bag Clearance
BIG CLEARANCE SALE! Designer handbags now $19.99, were $450. Free shipping on every order. Tap Shop Now: designer-bag-clearance.example
How to tell
- A brand-name item costs much, much less than anywhere else.
- The ad shows a famous brand, but the seller's name or web address is different.
- The store wants payment only by gift card, wire transfer, payment app or cryptocurrency (digital money).
- A search for the store's name with “scam” or “complaint” finds other people's bad experiences.
What to do
- Don't trust an ad just because it is in your feed (the posts you scroll through). Social media sites do not always check ads closely.
- Before you tap, search the seller's name with the words “scam,” “complaint” or “review.”
- Compare the price with stores you already know.
- Want the deal? Go to the brand's own website or app yourself instead of using the link in the ad.
- If you buy, pay with a credit card. It gives you the best protection if something goes wrong.
If you already tapped, paid, called or replied
- Paid by credit card, debit card or bank transfer? Call your card company or bank right away. Use the number on the back of your card. Ask for your money back.
- Used a credit card? Also send the card company a letter saying the charge is wrong. It must reach them within 60 days of the day they mailed the first bill showing it.
- Paid with a gift card? Call the number on the back of the card. Say a scammer tricked you and ask for your money back. Keep the card and the receipt, if you have it.
- Paid with a payment app, wire transfer or cryptocurrency (digital money)? Contact that company right away. Say a scammer tricked you and ask for your money back.
- Typed in your Social Security number? If someone has used it, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. If it hasn't been used, or you aren't sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.
How to check for real
Go to the brand's own website or app yourself, not through the ad, and see if the deal is really there. You can also search the seller's name with “scam” or “complaint” to see what other people say.
Where to report it
- Report the fake ad or store to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- If you are worried about identity theft, go to IdentityTheft.gov.
Free guides that go with this
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Where this comes from
Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.