Fake Lowe’s ads trick online shoppers with cheap deals on social media

If you happened to be surfing Facebook recently you may have seen an ad for a backyard shed that might typically sell for about $800 offered for only $66.99.

There was also an ad for a lawnmower that might usually sell for $500 listed for only $99.

Both ads claimed to be with Lowe’s, the home improvement store, but when contacted by CTV News, Lowe's Canada said both ads were fakes.

In a statement Valérie Gonzalo with media relations with Lowe’s Canada said: “Lowe’s Canada confirms that this is a fraudulent post on Facebook. Unfortunately, these types of posts are misleading for the consumer and we systematically make sure to flag them to our teams internally in order to block them. Thank you for bringing this one to our attention.”

CTV News also contacted Facebook and a spokesperson for Meta, Facebook’s parent company, said: “We reviewed the pages and they’ve been removed for violating our policies. We have various systems in place that help us catch and remove suspicious activity before it is reported – it is an ongoing effort that we’re committed to continuously improving over time.”

Online shopping has more than doubled over the past two years during the pandemic as many people shopped from home, and according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) there has been an increase in the number of people who say they've lost money purchasing items through social media ads.

"There has definitely been an increase in fraudulent ads since the beginning pandemic, but they have always been around,” said Janita Pannu, the founder of OPIIA Inc. a company that monitors social media.

Pannu said some ads are outright fake while others promise more than they deliver.

“There are scenarios where customers pay for a product that never shows up or it's of very poor quality compared to what they saw online,” said Pannu.

That's especially true of clothing which may appear as a luxury brand in an ad, but arrive looking like a cheap imitation.

The BBB said consumers need to be careful shopping for clothing and accessories as not everything you see online is going to look as good when you receive it.

According to the BBB, beware of social media ads selling products that claim to support charity, that come with free trial offers, that sell counterfeit merchandise or use apps and websites of unknown origin.

"You just want to make sure they have clear shipping policies and return policies and if they don't have that on their website that can be a red flag and something to avoid," said Pannu.

If you're tempted to buy a product through a social media site do some research first. Try a google search of the product and business name with the words complaints, reviews or scams and see what pops up as what you find may help you make your decision.

And if you see a price that seems too good to be true - it probably is.