LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– Officials with the Better Business Bureau are warning shoppers about an alarming new trend. They say that scammers are tricking more and more customers into buying counterfeit products online.
“Who doesn’t want a good deal? And you’ll look online for good prices for everything from designer sunglasses to high-end handbags, electronics, clothing, even makeup items,” said Heather Clary with the Better Business Bureau of Central & Eastern Kentucky.
If it seems too good to be true, remember that it just might be.
A new Better Business Bureau report shows that online counterfeit product sales are on the rise. This means that people think they are buying a certain brand item, but instead, they receive a cheap knock-off, or nothing at all.
“And worse, a lot of these are overseas and a lot of times the consumer doesn’t have much recourse unless they’re able to recover something through their credit card, if they bought it that way. So the BBB wants people to be cautious about where they’re buying things from,” she said.
The BBB reports that each year, counterfeit items cost the U.S. economy $250 billion. They said that on a fraudulent website, you will often see low-quality pictures, broken English, and no easy way to reach the company.
“Look at the name of the website very carefully, check out the company at BBB.org, see if there are any reports and look at the contact us. That’s a huge giveaway. Many times there is no address given. That’s a big red flag,” said Clary.
For more information from the Better Business Bureau, click here.
Contact the Better Business Bureau serving Central & Eastern Kentucky to check out companies, charities, or to report problems and scams by calling the Lexington office at (859) 259-1008 or toll-free 1-800-866-6668. Services are also available by logging on to www.bbb.org.
