Online Purchase Non-Delivery Scam
Fake online stores take payment for products that never arrive. FBI IC3: 69,271 complaints, $199M losses in 2024.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Prices dramatically below retail
- ⚠Website recently created (check WHOIS)
- ⚠No physical address or phone
- ⚠Only accepts wire/Zelle/crypto
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →RESEARCH: "[site name] + scam"
- →CHECK DOMAIN age via WHOIS
- →USE credit card for protection
- →READ reviews on BBB, Trustpilot
More Details
- “80% off designer brands - today only!”
- “Closeout sale - everything must go”
- “Your order has shipped [fake tracking]”
- “Delivery delayed due to customs”
Common Questions
Check for: prices 80%+ off, no reviews on BBB/Trustpilot, recently created domain (WHOIS), only accepts wire/crypto.
Fake pet listings with stolen photos. After deposit, endless fees: crate, insurance, customs. The pet doesn't exist.
Use Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek. For peer sales, insist on in-app transfer. Meet at venue, enter together before paying.
Dispute with credit card company. Report to FTC and FBI IC3. Always use credit cards for fraud protection.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
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Facebook Marketplace Payment Scam
Scammers use fake payments, overpayment schemes, or shipping fraud on Marketplace. Cash and local meetup is safest.
Puppy and Pet Deposit Scam
Fake pet listings collect deposits then demand more fees for shipping, insurance, crates. Pet never existed. BBB: 400% increase since 2017.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)