Fake Currys websites con bargain hunters

Which? has found two newly created scam websites that claim to offer heavily discounted electrical goods.

In the build-up to the Black Friday sales, scammers often target shoppers with too-good-to-be-true offers. Currys has confirmed that both websites are fraudulent.

Read on to discover how this scam works and how to avoid it.

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Fake Currys offers

A Facebook page called ‘Currys Used Clearance' claims to advertise heavily discounted products. 

At the time of going to press, the page was still live. It links through to two dodgy websites: 

• currys-uk.online 
• newpriceforu.online 

Some reviews on this Facebook page are positive, while other reviewers point out that it's a scam or said they'd been scammed. One claimed they'd ordered a washing machine through the website and were sent an invalid FedEx tracking number. 

Currys scam website

Both websites were created on 23 October this year and claim to sell goods at heavily discounted prices, as much as 90% off. For example, a Hoover Anti-Twist vacuum cleaner retails at £179 through Currys and is advertised at £44.43 on the scam website.

In an attempt to appear legitimate, the fake website features an ‘About us’ page which includes a genuine Currys promotional video, a contact page and various pages that outline terms, delivery and privacy policies.

On closer inspection, the site includes some classic scam signs such as pixelated images, a countdown timer for when fake deals end and poor grammar and spelling.

We shared our findings with Currys. It confirmed that the page and websites weren't legitimate and reported the page to Facebook as fraudulent. It also advised getting in touch with its customer service teams directly if you doubt the legitimacy of any group, page or profile you see purporting to be run by Currys. The official Currys website is www.currys.co.uk.

Which? also reported the Facebook page and website.

Avoiding online shopping scams

As we approach the busiest time of the year for shopping, it's likely that scammers will seize the opportunity to con shoppers with fake and non-existent goods.

Be extra cautious of any outrageously good deals. Our guide to the best Black Friday deals only features products we've rigorously tested and we consider to be good value. We don't promote deals on duds.

Avoid falling for an online shopping scam by:

• always double checking the price of the product across multiple websites - if a store is selling a product significantly cheaper than other stores, you should be wary 
• researching the retailer before you buy from it - check out reviews on social media and review websites such as Trustpilot
• being wise to cheap marketing tricks including competitions, surveys or a time limit on apparent offers
• paying for purchases using payment platforms or a credit card, as you have additional protections if things go wrong
• never paying by bank transfer.

You can report scam Facebook pages by selecting the three dots on the right and pressing ‘report’. For dodgy websites, report them to the National Cyber Security Centre.

If you think you've been scammed, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card. You can also report scams to Action Fraud or, if you're in Scotland, call the police on 101.