‘I’m upset, I’m angry’: Two Ontario residents out several hundred dollars after falling victim to fake social media ads

Two Ontario residents are sharing their stories after one resident said they didn’t receive their item, and the other received items of low quality.

Two Ontario residents are sharing their stories after one said they didn’t receive an item they ordered from a social media ad, while the other received products that weren’t of the quality they were expecting.

“I’m upset, I’m angry. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” said Jackie Balfour, of Niagara Falls.

Balfour told CTV News Toronto that she was on Facebook when an ad popped up for a clothing store claiming it was going out of business.

“I found a three-piece outfit and a pair of shoes that I liked,” said Balfour.

She made the purchase and paid $135, but when the merchandise arrived, Balfour said it was cheaply made and the shoes she thought were leather, were made of plastic.

“These are $65 shoes that are plastic junk.”

According to Balfour, the website appeared to be based in Canada but when she tried to return the items, she was told she would have to send them to China at a cost of almost $100, and there was no guarantee she would get a refund.

“I felt ripped off. I felt everything about the website was misleading and fraudulent,” she said.

Jinrui Fu, of Aurora, also told CTV News he fell victim to a fake ad. Fu needed a tail light for his truck and found a company on Facebook and sent them $250.

Then he was told he would have to pay more for insurance and the part never showed up.

“Even if it’s Facebook certified don’t believe it - it’s a scam,” said Fu. “I feel disappointed in Facebook right now.”

According to Janita Pannu, a social media expert and the founder of digital marketing agency Opiia Inc., consumers may believe ads have been vetted by platforms they appear on, but it’s often not the case.

“They are getting hard to determine what’s real and what’s fake,” Pannu said. “Scammers are building these Facebook pages, running ads for a period of time, and then collect payment and never deliver on the product.”

To avoid ad scams, it’s advised to confirm you’re on a legitimate website, use caution buying through social media shops, and contact the company in advance of the purchase. Also be cautious of massive discounts and deals that seem too good to be true. If a price is so low that it doesn’t make sense, chances are it’s a fake ad.