The holiday season often brings out the best in people, as family and friends come together to celebrate. Unfortunately, it also brings out scammers looking to take advantage of unwitting shoppers. One such scam making the rounds this year involves fake Justin Boots Christmas sales offering the iconic cowboy boots for as low as $6.99.
Scam Overview
The $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas sale scam operates by creating fake websites, social media pages, and advertisements that mimic the look and feel of legitimate Justin Boots marketing. The ads and sites tempt shoppers with unbelievable deals, such as 90% off Justin Boots that normally retail for $75 or more.
After clicking on one of these fake Justin Boots ads, customers are directed to a scam website made to look like an official Justin Boots site. The site will use Justin Boots branding, including the logo, product photos, and standard website design. To unsuspecting shoppers, the website appears totally legitimate.
From there, customers select boots they want to purchase for $6.99, enter shipping information, and submit payment, believing they’ve scored an amazing holiday deal. However, once the fraudulent sites collect payment and personal information, customers receive nothing. The sites quickly disappear, and scammers pocket the money.
Alternatively, some customers receive cheap, knockoff boots instead of official Justin Boots products. Others get random, unrelated items like sunglasses or jewelry. These bait-and-switch techniques keep the scam going longer before customers catch on.
By the time victims realize they’ve been scammed, the fake sites are gone, and contacting customer service is impossible. The schemes rely entirely on quickly collecting as much payment information as possible before getting shut down.
How the $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas Sale Scam Works
The $6.99 Justin Boots scam unfolds in several deceptive steps designed to dupe shoppers into handing over money and personal information:
1. Fake Ads on Social Media
The scams often start with Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ads promoting unbelievable Justin Boots sales. The ads contain Justin Boots branding and showcase various boot styles retailing for $6.99 instead of $75 or more.
The ads urge shoppers to act quickly, citing reasons like limited quantities, an imminent sale ending, or a warehouse clearance event. The use of FOMO (fear of missing out) creates urgency to entice clicks.
2. Redirect to Fake Justin Boots Websites
Once clicked, the social media ads redirect users to elaborate scam sites. The fraudulent sites mimic the look and feel of the real Justin Boots website, using copied product images, logos, and similar web design.
The fake sites prominently advertise the $6.99 deal, plus other deceitful promotions like “90% Off Christmas Sale” or “Free Shipping.” Countdown timers create manufactured urgency about the sale ending soon.
To unsuspecting visitors, the sophisticated scam websites appear totally authentic and can understandably fool shoppers into believing the deals are real.
3. Collect Payment and Personal Information
After choosing boots to purchase for $6.99, the fraudulent sites prompt users to enter payment and shipping information. The sites accept various payment methods like credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Amazon Pay.
In addition to collecting payment details, the sites also harvest names, addresses, phone numbers, and other personal data from victims. The more information collected, the more opportunities it provides scammers to commit future fraud or identity theft.
4. Fail to Deliver Promised Products
Once scam sites process payments, customers never receive the Justin Boots they ordered. In some cases, victims eventually get random, cheap products clearly not what was advertised and purchased.
Other times, the scam sites cease operation shortly after collecting payments, with zero attempt to ship anything to defrauded users. Victims receive no confirmation emails, shipping notifications, or any other follow-up from the scammers.
5. Disappear Without a Trace
Shortly after scam sites finish harvesting payments and personal data, they typically disappear without a trace. The domains cease working, and all presence of the sites vanishes.
With the fake sites gone, victims have no recourse to recover lost money or information. The scammers offer no working customer service channels, physical addresses, or other legitimate contact methods.
The transient scam sites are intentionally designed for quick payment collection and disappearance. Even tracking down where the payments went or who was behind the sites proves extremely difficult.
How to Identify the Fraudulent $6.99 Justin Boots Sale Websites
The sophisticated fake websites can certainly dupe unwary shoppers, but there are several red flags to distinguish the Justin Boots impersonators from legitimate sites:
1. Non-Justin URLs and Recently Created Domains
The fraudulent sites will use URLs that are completely different from the real Justin Boots website at justinboots.com. Scam site URLs often contain random words or characters. Additionally, examining domain registration info will show the sites were recently registered, unlike the longstanding official Justin Boots domain.
2. Missing Contact Information
Scam sites lack any working phone number, physical address, or contact information beyond an email address. Justinboots.com provides multiple customer service options and complete corporate contact info.
3. Prices That Are Too Good to Be True
Fake sites advertise Justin Boots for $6.99 or up to 90% off, prices that are unrealistically low for a premium brand. Justin Boots rarely offers discounts beyond 30-40% on official sales. Offers like $6.99 Justin Boots are clear signals of a scam.
4. Duplicate Product Photos and Details
Scam sites steal product images, boot photos and descriptions directly from justinboots.com. On scam sites, the photos will be exact duplicates – not unique product pictures.
5. High-Pressure Tactics and Enticing Slogans
Fake sites use urgency-creating slogans like “Limited Time”, “Going Out of Business”, “While Supplies Last”, or “Today Only” to pressure purchases. Justinboots.com does not rely on such tactics.
6. Poor Spelling and Grammar
Scam sites often contain spelling, grammar and wording errors throughout. Justinboots.com maintains professional language appropriate for an American company.
Being vigilant for these red flags can help protect you from getting duped by fraudulent Justin Boots Christmas sale sites and losing money. When uncertain, take time to double check a site rather than impulsively clicking or providing personal information. Stick with trusted retailers listed at justinboots.com to ensure you receive authentic Justin Boots.
What to Do If You Fall Victim to the $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas Sale Scam
If you unfortunately fell prey to the deceptive $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas scam, here are some actions to take right away:
- Contact your payment provider – Notify your credit card company, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc. to dispute the charges and request refunds. Report that you paid a scammer impersonating a legitimate retailer.
- Place fraud alerts – Contact credit bureaus to set fraud alerts on your accounts to protect your identity and prevent future misuse of your personal information.
- Change passwords – If you used the same password on the scam site as other accounts, change it immediately everywhere it was used to prevent access to your other accounts.
- Monitor statements closely – Keep a close eye on your financial statements and credit reports to spot any signs of further fraud. Report any suspicious charges or activity to your bank and credit bureaus.
- Report the scam – File reports about the scam website, social media pages, and ads with the FTC, IC3, DNS cyber crime division, Justin Boots corporate, and social media platforms to get them shut down and prevent further victims. Provide all available details.
- Warn others – Share your experience and warn friends, family, and social media connections to help prevent others from falling for the $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas scam. Spreading awareness can help curb the scammers’ success.
- Seek legal counsel – If you suffered significant financial loss or identity theft, consult an attorney to determine if you have grounds for legal action. An attorney can advise your options, which may include small claims court for monetary damages.
Frequently Asked Questions About the $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas Sale Scam
1. What is the $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas sale scam?
The $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas sale scam is a fraudulent promotion run by scammers to trick shoppers into buying cheap knockoff boots. Scammers create fake ads, websites, and social media pages pretending to offer deep discounts on Justin Boots for the holidays. However, it’s a scam designed to steal credit card information and money. Victims receive no boots or other products after paying.
2. How does the Justin Boots Christmas scam work?
The scammers post ads on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok offering Justin Boots for $6.99, when they normally cost over $75. The ads use Justin Boots branding and urge buyers to act fast before the sale ends. Clicking the ad sends shoppers to an elaborate fake website made to look identical to the real Justin Boots site. Victims enter payment and shipping information, believing the low prices are real holiday deals. However, it’s a scam, and no products will arrive.
3. What happens after I buy the $6.99 Justin Boots?
Unfortunately, after the scam sites collect your money and information, you’ll never receive any boots or other products. The fake sites typically disappear shortly after taking payments, with all customer service channels being fake or nonworking. At best, some victims eventually receive random, cheap products clearly not Justin Boots. The scam relies entirely on quickly collecting payments before getting shut down.
4. What are the warning signs of the Justin Boots Christmas scam?
Red flags include prices too good to be true (like $6.99 for $75 boots), high-pressure tactics about limited quantities or sales ending soon, scam site URLs different from the real Justin Boots site, scam sites using duplicate Justin Boots product photos, and lack of legitimate contact information or physical addresses for the seller.
5. Are the Justin Boots deals on these sites real?
No. All the $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas deals and related promotions advertised are completely fraudulent. The scam sites are not associated with nor authorized by Justin Boots in any way. Justin Boots has warned about these fraudulent ads and websites stealing customer information and money.
6. How can I get my money back if I paid the Justin Boots scammers?
Act quickly to notify your credit card company, bank, or payment provider like PayPal or Apple Pay to dispute the charges and request refunds. File detailed fraud reports with the FTC, IC3, DNS cyber crime division, and local law enforcement to aid investigations and prevent further victimization.
7. What should I do if I shared personal information with the scammers?
If you provided sensitive info like your name, address, or credit card number, immediately place fraud alerts with credit bureaus, monitor your financial statements closely for sign of identity theft, and consider changing compromised passwords. Be vigilant about additional scam attempts using your information.
8. How can I identify and avoid the fake Justin Boots sites?
Stick to shopping directly at justinboots.com or other authorized Justin Boots retailers. Lookup seller info and policies before providing payment data. Be wary of sites with no working contact info, recent domain creation dates, or prices that seem unrealistic. Trust your instincts – if a deal seems questionable, avoid the site.
9. Where can I report Justin Boots Christmas scams?
File detailed reports about the scam ads, websites and social media pages with the FTC, IC3, DNS cybercrime division, BBB, Justin Boots corporate, and the social media platforms being used to promote the scams. Your reports can help get scam content removed and prevent further victims.
10. How can I avoid online shopping scams this holiday season?
Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true, use secure official payment methods only, research sellers carefully before purchasing, check site security and policies before buying, and avoid entering payment or personal information on questionable sites you don’t fully trust. Trust your instincts – if you suspect a scam, walk away.
The Bottom Line
The $6.99 Justin Boots Christmas sale scam illustrates how easily scammers can create elaborate fake offerings, especially during the holiday rush. While the unbelievable prices may be extremely tempting, it’s always best to avoid questionable websites and be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true.
When shopping online, stick to trusted retailers with verifiable contact info, valid return policies, and secure checkout processes. Pay only through official payment processors – never unofficial methods. If you suspect a site or seller of fraudulent activity, trust your instincts and avoid providing payment or personal data.
A small amount of caution goes a long way in protecting yourself from seasonal shopping scams. Trust your gut, and don’t let tempting deals override sound judgment. By staying vigilant and proactively reporting scam attempts, consumers can prevent getting duped and hopefully hinder these fraudsters from duping others.
