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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.