In the age of digital shopping, the convenience of purchasing items from the comfort of your home is unparalleled for some. However, this convenience can sometimes come at a high cost, as Sarah, a communications professional, discovered.

While scrolling through the social networking website Instagram, she was enticed by a sponsored advertisement for a collapsible walking pad that could fit under a desk. Little did she know, this seemingly harmless ad would be the start of her retail nightmare.

The advertisement featured a woman raving about the convenience of the walking pad, which Sarah—who did not disclose her last name for privacy reasons—thought would be a great addition to her home office.

'This girl was giving all sorts of reviews and testimonials and was raving about how convenient the pad was, so I thought, “Why not?”’ Sarah recalled.

Scammers are targeting victims through sponsored social media ads. Source: Brett Jordan/Unsplash

The ad led her to a website that appeared legitimate and was offering a sale. Sarah purchased the walking pad for $250, significantly lower than retail prices on other websites and stores.

‘I clicked on the ad, which took me to a website that looked perfectly [legitimate], and they were having a sale,’ she added. ‘I received an order confirmation that told me my product was on the way.’

But Sarah's order did not arrive as expected, and things were about to take a turn for the worse.

After a few weeks of waiting, she emailed the company to inquire about her order.

To her shock, the website had been taken down.

‘When I Googled the website, it had been taken down, and there had been a few reports of it being a fraudulent site,’ Sarah shared. 'My heart just sank.’

The website, known as 'Sunlinke', imitates an electronics goods store, according to cybersecurity website Malware Tips.

The scam site collects personal and financial information from customers, which can be used for identity theft and other illegal activities.

Sarah had previously purchased products from targeted Instagram ads and was unaware that social media platforms could host fake ads.

'I felt really violated,' she said.

Sarah’s experience came just as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe, warned of a 'recent, disturbing development' where scammers pay for their fake websites to appear first on search engines.

‘This means you can’t necessarily trust the first listing you see,’ Ms Lowe stated.

To protect yourself from such scams, consumers are advised to familiarise themselves with the site addresses of their favourite brands and navigate there directly. Alternatively, they can scroll down the search results to ensure they find the real site.

‘Consumers should also be aware that scammers are using social media platforms to set up bogus stores and to advertise their fake websites,’ she added.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has shared a warning about fraudulent websites and tips on how to remain safe:

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It is advised that consumers be vigilant and cautious when shopping online.

Unfortunately, Sarah is not the only person who fell victim to this type of scam. We also shared similar stories in our Scam Watch forum:

• BEWARE: New online scam emerges on social media
• Avoid heartbreaking holiday scams: Why you should never click that blue link!
• Dick Smith warns Aussies about deepfake scams that could easily drain bank accounts
• Tracy Grimshaw exposes scammers as behind deceptive weight loss ‘endorsement’ on social media

Remember, if you have any doubts about an online retailer, it's best to play it safe and shop elsewhere. It's always better to be safe than sorry when protecting your hard-earned money and personal information.

If you have been scammed, report it to ACCC’s Scamwatch here: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam

Key Takeaways

• Sarah, whose last name was not disclosed for privacy reasons, fell victim to a scam advertised on Instagram, which led to the loss of hundreds of dollars and compromised her personal banking information.
  
• The scam involved a fraudulent website called 'Sunlinke' that sold electronics like collapsible walking pads, and it collected personal and financial information for potentially illegal activities.
  
• The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warned about the rise of fraudulent websites being advertised and that they may even appear at the top of internet search results, urging consumers to be cautious.
  
• The ACCC suggested that consumers should familiarise themselves with their favourite brands' official site addresses and be aware of scam advertisements on social media platforms.
  

Have you ever encountered a scam while shopping online, members? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below to help other members stay safe.

 

[marni]

I only use Pay Pal.

My daughter got scammed and only uses PayPal. The garment never arrived

 

[VK2LEE]

I only use Pay Pal. Temu is a better site than ebay. everything is much cheaper and arrives much much faster. I have bought from Temu about 20 times and they are very good. If their products don't arrive in the given time they give you $5. Yes, I have collected it a few times. I have bought from ebay items I couldn't find on Temu recently and they seemed to take forever to get here. Temu also send You emails about where your parcel is... tracked via Australian post... One of the items I bought from TEMU wasn't exactly as it seemed, so I asked to send it back, they just gave Me a credit and told Me to keep the item... Goods seem to take about 3 times as long to arrive when purchased on ebay via temu... 68autobug Bugbuyer

 

[Veggiepatch]

Sarah is a ‘communications professional’ ?? Go figure.

Read that as "I have a barely average command of the English language"....