‘This can happen anywhere’ shoppers warn about perfume scam to be weary of this Xmas as it sweeps British high streets
A PROLIFIC perfume scam sweeping the high street could leave you hundreds out of pocket this Christmas, shoppers have warned.
Fraudsters are reportedly buying luxury perfumes, swapping the legitimate bottle for a fake one and then returning the box (with the counterfeit perfume now inside) to the store.
It’s a minefield for people buying perfumes and aftershaves as Christmas gifts, given they don’t want to open the box before the receiver of the present.
But this step might be a necessary addition to your Yuletide shopping routine due to the scam.
It is reportedly taking place in all major cosmetic retailers on the great British high street, including Boots, Argos and Superdrug, according to shoppers who have fallen victim to it.
Shoppers Zuzka Patrick took to Facebook earlier this month to share her experience.
She purchased what she thought was a bottle of the £104 Rabanne Olympea Eau De Parfum.
But when she opened the box at home, she immediately noticed that the bottle inside the box wasn’t legitimate.
It was made from cheaper material, and had a totally different shape and lid to the luxury version.
Zuzka returned the fragrance to the retailer, who she says has “opened a case and will investigate further”.
The shop also replaced the dud product and gave her the legitimate version.
“I’m so glad they swapped it for you,” one woman commented on the post.
“This is crazy though, isn’t it?
“Someone must be taking the real ones and replacing them with fakes.”
“This can happen anywhere,” another shopper weighed in.
“Someone clearly returned a fake.
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.
“People do it all over – I work in retail.”
A third joked: “I wonder if in January there’s an influx of returns to boots because people opening Christmas prezzies finding they got Amanda instead of Armani.”
HOW TO BE SAFE
The experts at FragranceX offered some advice to ensure you don’t fall victim to the scam.
They said: “Typically, authentic perfumes come boxed and wrapped in cellophane wrap.
“The cellophane around the box is usually wrapped flawlessly and tightly around the box.
“If the cellophane is loosely or poorly wrapped, this could be an indicator of a fake perfume, especially if it’s to the point where you can move the cellophane around the box freely.
“If the plastic wrapping on the perfume box is sealed in a bad-looking way (excess glue, uneven seam, etc) then be wary.”
When it comes to bottles, the writing will be on the wall then too.
The experts explained: “An authentic perfume bottle will have smooth containers made from high quality glass material and have spill-proof caps that are perfectly symmetrical (unless otherwise designed).
“A fake perfume bottle is usually rough or poorly made out of cheaper materials such as plastic and could have an uneven perfume cap.”