Beware of Tariff Delay Scams When Shopping Online

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to watch out for a new online shopping scam. It has received reports that fraudsters are claiming that online orders are delayed due to tariffs, using this excuse to avoid fulfilling orders or issuing refunds.

Here’s what to know about how this scam works and what you can do to avoid it.

[ See: Watch Out for Fake PayPal Invoice Scams

How the online shopping tariff scam works

The scam typically begins with an online ad for a product or retailer. If you click the ad, you’ll end up on a website that looks legitimate. You’ll even get a tracking number for your order if you make a purchase on the site. But then you’ll be left waiting for an order that doesn’t arrive.

Shoppers who bought items through these fake retail sites received emails that their packages were stuck in customs due to tariffs, according to reports filed with BBB Scam Tracker. For example, one consumer bought a product from gotosleeps.com after seeing an ad for it on Instagram.  According to the report, “The order never arrived ... the email response has numerous grammatical errors and blamed 'Trump Tariffs' as to why the product is delayed." 

In some instances, consumers have been asked to pay more money after placing orders and being told their packages were delayed as a result of tariffs.

How to avoid the online shopping tariff scam

To protect yourself from the recent tariff scam and other online shopping scams, make sure you always take these steps:

Don’t click on ads. Online ads and social media posts could take you to untrustworthy retail sites or install malware on your device. Also, avoid using broad search terms, such as “mattress deals” or “cheap TVs,” to find deals online. The sponsored results that appear at the top of search results could link to questionable sites created by scammers. 

Research sellers. Before making a purchase, investigate the company's reputation. Search the name of the company along with the word “reviews,” “scam” or “complaint” to see if consumers have had bad experiences with it. 

Inspect the url. If you don’t see “https” and a padlock symbol in the web address, the site isn’t secure. Also, be wary of sites with a url that ends with .shop, .store or .vip domain—which scammers often use when creating fake sites.

Check for refund policies. Look for retailers’ refund policies on their sites to ensure you can get your money back if you’re unhappy with a purchase. Shop elsewhere if a retailer doesn’t provide a refund or exchange policy on its site.

Pay with a credit card: Credit cards offer better protections against fraudulent transactions and for purchases that merchants aren’t willing to refund than other payment methods, such as debit cards.

Beware of tariff-related fees and excuses. Legitimate retailers won’t ask you to pay additional fees for tariffs after you’ve made purchases or claim that you have to pay to get a package out of customs, according to BBB. If you receive a message like this, let your card issuer know immediately that you made a purchase on a potentially fraudulent site.

Monitor your accounts for unauthorized charges. Keep a constant eye on your bank and credit card accounts in case scammers get your card information when you shop online. A service such as Carefull can provide 24/7 account, credit and identity monitoring plus $1 million in identity theft insurance. Carefull looks for activity that traditional transaction alerts can miss, keeping you safe from the latest scams. You can try Carefull for free for 30 days.

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[ Keep Reading: What to Do If You've Been Scammed ]

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