Scam Alert: Fake Jewelry Store Ads Exploit Heart-Felt Stories to Steal Your Money

As Christmas approaches, you might be thinking about buying a special gift for your friends, mom, or grandma—maybe a stunning piece of handcrafted jewelry at a hard-to-refuse price to show your love and appreciation.

However, scammers are taking advantage of the Christmas spirit and gift-giving rush by creating fake jewelry businesses that look real, complete with touching backstories and enticing discounts.

Under the guise of a “final farewell sale,” after 26 years of business, they lure victims with promises of handcrafted, premium-quality jewelry discounted by up to 70%. These fake ads, promoted on social media platforms such as Facebook, often include sentimental messages to tug at your heartstrings—and your wallet.

Red Flags

• Recently created social media pages: The store’s social media profiles are often newly created and lack a substantial history or engagement. They have few to no followers.
• Highly emotional ads: The ads rely on tear-jerking stories, such as the owner being unable to compete with larger businesses or needing to close shop. These narratives are crafted to build trust and a sense of urgency.
• Targeted ads: These fraudulent ads are aimed at women aged 18-65, leveraging emotional and aspirational messaging to maximize their appeal.
• Recently registered website: The website domain was registered just weeks ago, on October 29, 2024, far from the “26 years” the business claims.
• AI-generated images: The owner’s photo appears AI-generated - not a real person.
• Recycled product photos: Images of the jewelry are used across multiple unrelated websites, including major retailers websites.
• Customer Complaints: Negative reviews online expose the scam:

“Terrible quality, feels like plastic. Cheap and nasty.”

 “They sent the wrong item and made me pay to return it. Their terms and conditions protect their scam!”

A New Twist: ‘Buy One, Get One Free’

In addition to the emotional “closing down sale” narrative, scammers also use flashy promotions such as:
 Buy One, Get One Free—Double the Style, Same Price!”
These ads promise two high-quality, handcrafted jewelry pieces for the price of one, creating a sense of urgency with phrases like, “Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity—get yours before they're gone!” The goal remains the same: to trick victims into making purchases for subpar items or providing sensitive payment details.

How to Stay Safe

1. Verify the legitimacy of the business: Research the company and check for consistent customer reviews. A lack of history or poor reviews are major red flags.
2. Check social media profiles: Look for well-established pages with genuine engagement. A newly created profile is a warning sign.
3. Be skeptical of overly emotional appeals: Scammers know that emotional stories can bypass your critical thinking. By making you feel compassion—whether for a struggling small business owner or an incredible deal—they cloud your judgment and push you to act quickly.
4. Pause and reflect: If an ad pulls too hard on your emotions, take a step back. Scammers rely on rushed decisions.
5. Check Domain Registration: Tools like Whois can reveal when the website was registered. A short lifespan is a warning sign.
6. Report suspicious activity: If you encounter such scams, report the ads and websites to consumer protection agencies and social media platforms.

Protect Your Holiday Season With Bitdefender

The holiday season should be a time of joy and connection, not stress and frustration caused by scammers and cyberthreats. Whether you’re shopping, traveling, or donating, make sure to slow down, double-check information, and use a trusted cybersecurity solution from Bitdefender.

Bitdefender’s security solutions can block malicious and fraudulent websites before they harm you and ruin your holiday.

For added peace of mind, try Bitdefender Scamio, our FREE on-demand scam detector you can use to check for any scammy links or proposals you see online. Scamio can analyze any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images and give you a verdict on whether they are part of a scam.

You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK

 Don’t forget to share this alert to help others avoid falling victim. If you suspect fraud, report the website and transaction to your local authorities or consumer protection agency.

Stay safe, and remember that not all that glitters is gold!