ORLANDO, Fla. – Online shoppers should beware.
Fake ads and websites are costing people thousands of dollars, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Daren Maas knows a thing or two about guitars.
“I play music, I enjoy music, taking lessons for a lot of years,” Maas told News 6.
So, when he wanted to treat himself for his birthday, buying a new guitar was a no-brainer.
“It’s a Gibson Les Paul,” he said.
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Maas found the guitar through a Facebook ad that popped up on his feed. He clicked the link, which took him to what appeared to be the Guitar Center website — a store he is very familiar with.
“I’m like, ‘This is a great price. It’s a sale price.’ So, I sat there, I went through the whole thing, went through to the order process, and placed the order,” Maas said.
Shortly after placing the order, Maas received an email with an order number confirming he paid $1,231.56 for the Gibson Les Paul.
But the next email notified him that the money went to someone named Shane Griffin - not Guitar Center.
“As soon as I saw that, I realized I had been had,” Maas said.
The fake site has since been taken down.
When Maas compared the fake site to the real Guitar Center website, he noticed the difference: The real site’s URL is guitarcenter.com, while the fake was guitarcenter-us.com — a minor difference, but a costly one.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one that they got, they scammed,” Maas said. “They’re hunting people like this and it’s sad.”
How common are fake websites? Extremely common, according to Holly Salmons, CEO of the Better Business Bureau.
Maas reported the fraud through the BBB’s Scam Tracker.
Salmons recommends avoiding clicking on ads that pop up in social media feeds or random text messages.
“Go, yourself, directly to the business and then look for the product that you’re trying to search for. Those direct links could be what get you in trouble,” Salmons said.
She also warns that if one site has a much lower price than others for the same item, it could be a red flag.
Maas is now disputing the charge with his credit card company.
“It’s a very bad position to be in and you feel very vulnerable,” Maas said.
Remember: Don’t fall for the scheme, don’t get ripped off, but if you do, email me at LBolden@wkmg.com.