Online scammers are duping victims by blaming the nondelivery of their fake goods on the Trump administration’s tariffs, the Better Business Bureau says.
The nonprofit consumer protection agency has tracked a surge in complaints from shoppers who say the excuse kept them from getting refunds on impulse purchases they made on social media for between $21 and $1,200.
Melanie McGovern, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, said the scam prevents customers from realizing online advertising led them to a fake company until it’s too late to get their money back.
“So by using items in the news, they continue to perpetuate the scam, which can include fake shipping confirmations, etc.,” Ms. McGovern said. “The scammers are cashing in on confusion surrounding tariffs to charge consumers more for a product that most of the time never arrives.”
The Washington Times has reached out to the White House for comment.
Cybersecurity experts said the shifting import taxes have also let fraudsters demand additional financial information and “tariff payment requests” to “release” fictional products.
They stressed that while tariffs can affect wholesale goods, they don’t affect retail purchases for cosmetics, jewelry and furniture.
“To be clear, tariffs are never something a shopper should be asked to pay after placing an order,” said Abu Qureshi, threat intelligence and mitigation lead at BforeAI, a New York cybersecurity firm. “That cost is always included in the original price. If a seller asks for more money later because of tariffs, it’s a red flag.”
A recent report from BforeAI found a surge in references to President Trump on fake websites created through Shopify, WordPress and Wix.
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that Americans lost more than $3 billion to online scams in 2024, up from $2.7 billion in 2023.
Angelica Gianchandani, a New York University marketing instructor, said Mr. Trump’s tariffs could drive that figure even higher as more social media influencers hawk “too good to be true” prices.
“The scammers exploit two powerful psychological triggers: trust in what looks like a legitimate brand, and fear or confusion around complex geopolitical issues like tariffs,” Ms. Gianchandani said.
According to a BBB Scam Alert issued Wednesday, online shoppers can protect themselves from tariff cons by sticking to websites they know or have vetted in advance.
The alert also included examples of consumer complaints.
“The Instagram ad from gotosleeps.com advertised a product that I purchased,” one shopper told the bureau. “A tracking number was provided by tracking-hub.com. The order never arrived. … The email response has numerous grammatical errors and blamed ’Trump Tariffs’ as to why the product is delayed.”
Other consumers flagged a nonresponsive, vague or unhelpful customer service line.
“After [two] months of not receiving my product I have emailed this company multiple times and each time the reply is my package is stuck in customs due to … tariffs,” another shopper wrote. “I have requested a refund multiple times. I have no longer gotten any replies from this apparently fake company.”
The Times reached out to gotosleep.com and tracking-hub.com for comments.
Al Pascual, CEO of Scamnetic, a Florida-based digital security company, said a growing number of scams also ask for Social Security numbers to release orders “held at customs.”
“Scammers could use tariffs to not just squeeze victims for more and more cash, but also personal data,” Mr. Pascual said.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.