It’s no fun purchasing a product that you’re excited about just to be disappointed when it never arrives in the mail. Instagram ads deserve the skepticism they have received lately as a good amount of them are unfortunately turning out to be scams.
The kinds of ads that appear on your feed are often extremely targeted, as they may be a result of a recent search made on your phone. Ads for electronics, clothing, shoes, and more, are appearing frequently as you scroll through your feed.
It is important to proceed with caution when clicking these ads and deciding to make a purchase.
Here are some tips on purchasing products via Instagram ads:
-Do research on other sites for a similar item to get an idea on a realistic price. Many sites will lure you in by offering items at half price simply because it is counterfeit product or a scam in general.
-Make sure the link to the ad takes you to a legitimate website. Links to look for: Privacy Policy, Returns/Shipping Policy, Terms & Conditions, and About Us.
-Confirm that the hyperlink to the site reads HTTPS, not HTTP. If it reads HTTP, your credit card will not be encrypted, or encoded so that unauthorized parties are unable to have access to it.
-Be sure the website has a legitimate working phone number or email where you can contact someone in the event something goes wrong with your order.
-Check for Paypal or Stripe as payment methods as both protect the consumer if you do need to dispute your order.
-Check for reviews on the product(s). While you’re skimming those, be sure to check the legitimacy of the reviewers as some sites will post fake reviews to pose as actual customers that have purchased the product.
-Take a screenshot of the ad so that you can report the user in the event that you did come across a scam.
