Halloween is one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year: costumes, decorations for the yard, tickets to the local haunted house. Deals that look too good to be true, a sense of urgency, and a request to pay before you've had time to think are common scam tactics this time of year. Here are four Halloween scams to watch for, and how to keep the treats and skip the tricks.
1. Fake costume stores and too-good-to-be-true deals
You’re scrolling through social media when an ad appears for exactly the costume you’ve been looking for at 80% or 90% off. Or maybe an email advertises an “overstock clearance” that ends tonight.
The website can look surprisingly convincing. Scammers may copy logos, product photos, and even the overall design of legitimate retailers.
But after you place an order, nothing arrives. Or you receive something that looks nothing like what you purchased. In other cases, shoppers report fake tracking numbers, unexpected charges, or sellers who disappear as soon as payment goes through.
The Better Business Bureau recently highlighted one shopper who reported paying $110 for a costume that never arrived.
What to watch for: extreme discounts, no phone number or physical address, few or no reviews, and website addresses with odd spellings or extra characters.
2. Steep Discounts on Decorations
Halloween decorations have gotten bigger and more expensive. Giant skeletons, elaborate inflatables, and life-size animatronics can cost hundreds of dollars, making a steep discount especially tempting.
Scammers take advantage by advertising impressive decorations at a fraction of their normal price. The photos may show a six-foot animatronic or an elaborate light display. What arrives, if anything does, can be a tiny or cheaply made version of what was advertised.
Before buying from an unfamiliar seller, compare the item and its price with a few established retailers. If everyone else is selling something for $300 and one website has it for $29.99, that’s a reason to look more closely before entering your card information.
What to watch for: Prices dramatically below other retailers, vague or missing dimensions, and sellers with little or no history online.
3. Fake event and haunted house tickets
Planning to visit a haunted house, fall festival, or Halloween party? Make sure the ticket is real before you pay.
Scammers can create fake event pages and lookalike ticket sites using photos and information copied from legitimate events. Massachusetts consumer officials have also warned about ticket scams involving duplicated QR codes, where the same ticket can be sold to multiple people. You may not realize anything is wrong until you arrive at the door.
Whenever possible, find the event’s official website yourself and purchase tickets there rather than through a social media post or message.
What to watch for: Sellers pressuring you to act immediately, tickets available only through social media, prices that seem unusually low, and requests to pay by wire transfer, gift card, or payment app.
Source: BBC
4. “Free” Halloween gift cards and phishing texts
A $500 gift card. Free Halloween candy. An exclusive coupon from a major retailer.
There’s just one catch: you have to click a link.
Seasonal phishing messages use familiar brands and timely offers to get you to act without thinking. The link may lead to a fake website designed to collect your password, credit card number, or other personal information. In some cases, clicking can also expose your device to malicious software.
A good rule of thumb: if you receive an unexpected offer from a retailer, don’t use the link in the message. Open your browser and go directly to the company’s official website instead.
What to watch for: Unexpected prizes, messages from unfamiliar numbers or email addresses, urgent deadlines, suspicious links, and requests for passwords or financial information.
How to shop safely this season
- Check the seller first. Look the company up on BBB.org and search its name plus "scam" or "reviews." A legitimate store has a real address and phone number, not just an email.
- Type the address yourself. Instead of clicking an ad or a text, go straight to the retailer's website, and double-check the spelling of the URL.
- Compare prices. If a deal is dramatically cheaper than every major retailer, there's usually a reason.
- Buy tickets from the source. Purchase directly from the venue or event's official website, not from a social media post or a stranger.
- Pay with a credit card. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection. Be wary of anyone who insists on wire transfers, payment apps or gift cards.
- Don't click prize links. If you didn't enter a contest, you didn't win one.
- Act on fraud alerts right away. If your bank flags a charge, respond quickly. It's much easier to stop a payment than to recover one.
If you think you've been scammed, contact your bank or card issuer immediately, then report it to the BBB Scam Tracker and the FTC.
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