BBB issues scam alert in Virginia over fake toy company website

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — The Higher Enterprise Bureau (BBB) urges southwest Virginia shoppers to be cautious when purchasing on-line amid a latest spike in complaints a couple of pretend toy enterprise focusing on Fb customers.

The BBB not too long ago issued a rip-off alert in regards to the fraudulent gross sales of youngsters’ toys by means of www.littletikes.hidiscount.membership, also called littletikes.savealot.retailer.

In line with the bureau, the corporate has operated below a number of totally different names, together with Little Tikes Complete Sale Membership, Little Tikes Save A Lot Retailer, Little Tikes Low cost On-line Retailer, and Little Tikes Save Cash Retailer. They’ve additionally used electronic mail addresses equivalent to dobetterservice@gmail.com, service@happytime.membership, and repair@whole-sale.membership.

The BBB tells WFXR Information that the deal with on the corporate’s web site is definitely an empty lot in Roanoke. As well as, the location is registered in Panama, however all different info is personal.

Primarily based on this info, the BBB says it might probably verify that www.littletikes.hidiscount.membership is a fraudulent web site.

The bureau says folks from everywhere in the nation have fallen sufferer to the rip-off, incomes the corporate an “F” ranking with the BBB as a result of 28 complaints filed because the enterprise began working in 2019, none of which have been answered.

Examples of the complaints embrace clients being charged twice for his or her purchases, in addition to clients receiving pretend cargo monitoring numbers after which not getting refunds when the objects by no means truly arrive.

Julie Wheeler, the president and CEO of BBB Serving Western Virginia, says this fraudulent firm makes use of Fb adverts to advertise giant reductions on Little Tikes toys, drawing clients to a professional-looking website after which utilizing an internet cost system — equivalent to PayPal — so clients simply click on and purchase.

“Know who you might be doing busy with,” Wheeler suggested. “Don’t click on on hyperlinks that present up in your social media feed. You wish to go on to reliable websites somewhat than counting on an advert that pops up in your social.”

If you wish to keep away from being scammed when purchasing on-line, try these different suggestions from the BBB:

• It’s simple for a pretend website to imitate a well-known retailer’s website, so be sure to are purchasing with a reliable website. For instance, a website with none contact info or a reliable deal with is a purple flag as a result of it means you won’t be able to achieve them when you have an issue or must make a return.
  • For extra suggestions for recognizing phony web sites, click on right here.
• Suppose earlier than you click on, particularly with electronic mail solicitations, on-line adverts on social media websites, and adverts that seem when you’ve got been purchasing on-line for a specific merchandise. Many sketchy retailers promote nice offers that don’t measure as much as the promotional hype.
• When purchasing on-line, you should definitely take your time and skim the superb print earlier than submitting your order.
  • Be sure to perceive the return coverage.
  • Watch out for too-good-to-be-true offers.
• Store with a bank card as a result of it supplies further protections in instances of fraudulent transactions, making it simpler to dispute prices that you just didn’t approve or get your a refund if there’s a drawback.
• Hold documentation of your order. For instance, save a duplicate of the affirmation web page or electronic mail affirmation till you obtain the merchandise and are glad.

In line with the BBB, scammers are at all times creating new and improved lookalike web sites — equivalent to pretend streaming service activiation prompts, DMV imposters, and pretend postal service web sites — with the intention to steal private info and cash.

For those who see or change into a sufferer of a rip-off, you might be urged to report it to the BBB so the bureau can cease the scammers, in addition to stop others from changing into victims of the identical rip-off.