Which? finds scam social media accounts posing as Zara, Asos, Vinted, Evri and others

Scammers are impersonating retailers and couriers and using fake customer service accounts on social media to trick customers into sharing their personal data.

Complaining on social media has been an effective way to get a company's attention for a while, especially if it's not responding to you on its other channels.

But Which? has found scammers posing as real customer service agents on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. These scammers aim to trick customers into sharing personal data which – once in their hands – can then be used to defraud people at a later date.

Find out more about these fake customer service accounts and how to complain safely on social media.

Scam PLT accounts on Instagram

Annie (a pseudonym) needed to contact PrettyLittleThing (PLT) about issues with two of her recently placed orders.

She contacted PLT's customer service, but it eventually stopped replying without resolving either issue.

Looking at PLT's dedicated customer service page, Annie spotted lots of complaints from other customers who similarly claimed that the retailer had stopped replying to them.

Annie also spotted some customers warning that scammers were pretending to be PLT's customer service team – using fake Instagram accounts – in the comments.

After commenting on PLT's page, Annie immediately received a follow request and message from scam customer service PLT accounts. These accounts asked for Annie's full name, order number, phone number and, in one case, her email address.

Annie was concerned and quickly deleted her comments. 'It freaked me out that so many scam accounts were messaging me, and I didn't want them to try and get into my Instagram,' she told us.

• Find out more: get help with making a delivery complaint using our free tool

Fake retailer and courier accounts rife on X

This isn't the first time we've heard of scammers trying to take advantage of people complaining on social media.

In 2024, Which? uncovered 37 fake Zara customer service accounts on X, as well as a flurry of bogus airline accounts.

After hearing Annie's story, we looked on X and found there were a number of fake customer service accounts still operating.

These accounts – posing as Asos, Zara, Sports Direct, Evri, InPost and Vinted – were actively responding to people who had tagged or mentioned the name of the company in the post.

Typically, the fraudsters' replies asked people to send a direct message with their name, phone and order number and email address.

Some of the scam accounts for different companies used the exact same wording, as shown in the screenshots below, suggesting that scammers are using bots (a type of automated software) to take advantage of victims.

What did the companies say?

Zara told us it takes the matter seriously and reports profiles as soon as they're detected to ensure they're removed. It only contacts customers through its official channels, including:

• WhatsApp: 08000 304238
• Its Zara_Care, Zara, Zara_Man, Zara_Kids social media accounts
• Its chat function, which is only available through its website or app.

Evri told us that it doesn't have an X account, but that it's aware of a number of fake accounts replying to people's complaints about its services.

'In the last 6 months alone, we’ve taken down over 1,000 fake social media profiles impersonating Evri, with over 700 of those on X. However, sadly we know these scams are on the rise and work to combat this requires a combined approach, from carriers, industry groups, and social media providers, a challenge which we are committed to ensuring we play our part in,' it told us.

InPost said it's also aware of a number of fraudulent accounts on X. Its team is actively reporting these profiles through the platform's reporting tools.

'We would welcome improved processes on social media platforms to support the timely reporting and removal of fraudulent profiles,' it added.

Vinted said its member support teams can be directly contacted through the Vinted platform, allowing a secure conversation. It advises members not to move conversations outside of its system, and to be cautious when sharing personal details.

Asos, Sports Direct and PrettyLittleThing did not respond to our request for comments.

Instagram and X do not allow fraudulent activity on their platforms. The scam accounts we found on X have now been suspended.

• Find out more: get help with making a faulty goods complaint

How to spot fake accounts

Posting on X or Instagram can still be a good way to get a retailer's attention, but we recommend doing your due diligence before handing over any personal information on these channels.

Many retailers and companies now have separate X accounts for customer service, which can make spotting scammers trickier. For example, Zara's main X account handle is @Zara while its genuine customer support account is @Zara_Care.

Before replying or sending over any personal information, check the company's official website for links to its social media profiles.

Fraudulent accounts will often have a tiny number of followers compared to genuine customer service accounts, particularly with big brands.

But it's worth noting that some of the scam accounts we found put fake follower numbers in their bios, in an attempt to trick people into thinking they had large followings.

The below Evri accounts claim to have millions of followers in their bios, but look at the actual follower numbers and you'll see they have zero. Make sure you carefully check follower numbers before engaging with an account.

In terms of typical tactics, a scam account may:

• ask you to send a DM with your phone number and other sensitive data (they may ask for your order number or booking reference first, to appear legitimate)
• direct you to click on links to phishing websites that harvest your card details
• claim you are entitled to 'compensation' or owe a small fee to resolve your issue and tell you to download a payment app (examples reported to Which? include Remitly, Skrill and WorldRemit)
• pay for a blue tick verification on X to appear legitimate.

• Read more: how to spot a social media scam

What to do if you've been scammed

If you’ve sent your card details to a scammer, or lost money to a scam, call your bank immediately (using the number on the back of your card or on your statements). You should also report the scam to Action Fraud or Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland.

Giving away sensitive details, such as an email address, can be enough for a scammer to access your accounts. Be extra vigilant in case you're targeted with more scams, and increase your security by changing your passwords and setting up two-factor authentication.

You should also report the offending account to the relevant social media platform.

Frustratingly, this may not always result in its removal. But under the new Online Safety Act, tech firms including X could eventually face fines for failing to remove harmful and fraudulent content from their platforms.

To report something on X, click on the three dots and select ‘Report’ from the dropdown menu. You can also report individual tweets, again by clicking the three dots above the tweet.

• Find out more: get your money back after a scam