Be vigilant: There is a major Instagram scam doing the rounds
We all love scrolling through our Instagram feeds, and sometimes a sponsored post catches our eye as we're creeping through.
Usually, the sponsored posts are promoting a local business or service, but other times the ad space is taken up with beauty products or online items for sale.
One Instagram fan called Luke was scrolling through his Insta feed when he spotted a 'buy now' ad from a company called Lux Style for one of those blackhead peel-off masks that have taken over the internet lately.
According to Cosmo, Luke saw the blackhead mask ad, which featured a '100 percent money back guarantee' slogan, but with no price visible.
Wondering how pricey the mask was, Luke clicked on the product and put in his address details when prompted, lulled into a sense of security as his bank details had not been requested.
A few weeks later, a packet of masks showed up at Luke's house, along with an invoice for the cost of the masks and shipping.
Luke, having not ordered the masks, flat out refused to pay, but was sent emails by the company insisting that he had ordered them.
LUX STYLE please nobody order from them I believe it is a scam ! My partner did not order from them but still… https://t.co/PCWdbARDdh
— BigBoss Littles (@Littles_ODT) January 17, 2017
There are dozens of forums and Facebook pages committed to discussing and exposing the fraudulent company, who have threatened to send debt collectors to the homes of those who refuse to pay for the unsolicited goods.
'I clicked on this advert to see the details of the product and the prices. A pop-up appeared asking me to register with them before they would show me their prices. I needed to give my e-mail address and my postal address which I did,' reads another fraud victim's account.
'When I found out how much the products cost I realised they were too expensive for me so I logged off their website.'
'I received a packet from this company which had enclosed 2 pieces of QUICKMAX which I did not order also enclosed was an invoice for the sum of £54.90. The payment instruction was that I had to pay this amount within 14 days to avoid late reminder fees.'
Another unsolicited customer had a similar experience, and is fighting an email battle to have the invoice erased.
'All I did was to check the cost of the product and left the website.'
'They sent me the product and have been sending continuous "avoid debt collection" case emails with invoices that gets "late payment fees" added on on top of the product cost. No number of emails and explanation helps,' reads a stressed out comment on the Lux Style International SCAM Facebook page.
The Better Business Bureau has also released a warning about the scam company.
'If you have received an unsolicited package or an invoice for products you did not order, under the Consumer Protection Act, you are not obligated to pay or return the package,' reads the statement.
So avoid those ads like the plague, you guys.
Oh, and while we have you; don't forget to have your say in the inaugural SHEmazing Awards this May! It's time to vote, and you can do it right here!
