When local stores ran out of the supplies we needed to manage COVID-19, many of us turned to online sources. According to a new Data Spotlight, scammers ran online sites and took orders for scarce items, but didn’t deliver. In April and May, more people reported problems with online shopping to the FTC than in any other months on record, and more than half of them said they never got what they ordered.
Reports show that early in the pandemic, shady sellers put up websites offering hard-to-find products. People ordered facemasks, sanitizer, toilet paper, thermometers, and gloves. When customers asked about their orders, scammers said the pandemic was causing shipping delays, and then stopped responding. When people reported undelivered orders to the FTC in April and May, facemasks were the #1 missing item.