The Better Business Bureau is warning you to proceed with caution if ordering personalized gifts via social media. The scams have been seen on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The agency’s Scam Tracker has gotten numerous reports from people whose purchases ended up being far different from what they thought, if they arrived at all.
Better Business Bureau Investigator Don O’Brien explains how it works.
“If you have your birth year in your profile for Facebook, you might also get something that says, ‘Established 1970 or 1971 or ’68,’ or whenever you were born. If you like Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Dale Earnhardt, Jr., if you have that in your profile, they may send you something saying ‘oh look at this cool Dale Jr. shirt. The more information you put out there about what you like and what your interests are on Facebook, probably the more likely you are to receive these types of social media ad scams in your newsfeed.”
If you want a personalized item, O’Brien suggests you research the company before making a purchase; look up reviews on other websites; and pay with a credit card instead of a debit card since it’s easier to dispute fraudulent charges with a credit card and there is a better chance of getting a refund.
