Don't Fall for This 'Out of Stock' Purchase Scam

Scammers frequently target shoppers who are looking for a good deal or a rare find (or both). As holiday sale season winds down, the Better Business Bureau is warning buyers about a scheme in which fraudsters charge you for "out of stock" goods and fail to refund your money.

The out-of-stock purchase scam is simple: After you buy a product online, scammers send you a notification that said item is no longer available, cancel your order, and tell you that you'll get your money back. Obviously, the refund never arrives, and no one ever responds to further inquiries.

As the BBB points out, in most cases, the item you thought you bought probably never existed in the first place—rather, scammers are selling fake stock, charging customers, and vanishing in hopes you won't notice that you didn't receive your refund. Some consumers who submitted reports to the BBB Scam Tracker said that they did receive products, but items were of poor quality or not what they ordered, and no refund was ever issued.

Spot out-of-stock purchase scams

These fake purchase schemes may have the usual red flags, like prices that are too good to be true, especially those promoted on social media. Personalized items are ripe for scams, as are hard-to-find products or collectibles. If you find an amazing deal from a company or seller you don't recognize, search the name with "scam" and read reviews on Google and Reddit to identify patterns of suspicious activity (or poor-quality products).

You should also be wary of websites that aren't secure—those that don't start with HTTPS or have a lock icon in the browser bar—as these are more vulnerable to hackers looking to intercept credit card info and other personal data. Legitimate vendors collect payment securely.

Shop with a credit card

Shopping scams are a good reason to use a credit card for online purchases, as they offer protection against fraudulent charges. If you don't receive a refund from a seller, you can file a chargeback—while this isn't as simple or swift a process, it is likely you'll get your money eventually.

Always keep receipts, order confirmations, and any communication with sellers in case you need to make a claim for a scam purchase.