Shoppers cautioned regarding luxury advent calendar scams

Consumers seeking discounts on high-end advent calendars are being cautioned about potential online fraudulent schemes. Advent calendars have progressed from containing simple pictures or small chocolates to encompassing a range of items, including beauty products, gourmet food and beverages, and jewellery. Consumer advocacy organization Which? advises individuals to be vigilant against scammers presenting offers that seem implausibly good, particularly in anticipation of Black Friday sales. This warning coincides with cosmetics retailer Space NK’s plea to its clientele to disregard deceptive social media advertisements that falsely promote its £250 advent calendar for a mere £28.99. Jini Sanassy of Space NK stated, “We are aware that fraudulent imitations of our website are circulating on social media platforms.” She further explained that consumers have been targeted on platforms like Facebook and Instagram through advertisements displaying substantial discounts on various products, including their advent calendar, which is currently out of stock. Sanassy added that “The issue has been immediately reported to Meta and our legal team are working to shut these websites down.” The BBC has reached out to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for a statement. Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which?, commented that the growing luxury appeal of advent calendars is likely to attract an increased number of criminals targeting purchasers. She emphasized, “Since these products can be expensive, many people will be looking for discounted and cheaper options, but it’s important to be wary of scammers trying to take advantage in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas.” Black Friday is a retail event traditionally observed the day following Thanksgiving in the US. Nevertheless, its duration has expanded over time to encompass the entire week, with retailers frequently conducting Black Friday sales throughout the month of November. In the previous year, fraudulent advertisements purported to offer the £350 advent calendar from the perfume and beauty brand Jo Malone for only £30. Ms. Webb recommended that customers meticulously verify the URL of any website and critically assess why an item might be priced so low. She stated, “If the deal seems too good to be true, often it is.” She also noted that any questionable websites can be reported directly to the National Cyber Security Centre. Source: Which? Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.