A worrying new online shopping scam has emerged involving fake websites that are illegally impersonating the real retailer Clearance Warehouse USA and promoting fake closing down sales with unbelievable discounts up to 90% off. These fraudulent sites aim to trick customers by falsely posing as the legitimate Clearance Warehouse USA company.
This guide will uncover how this scam works, techniques to spot the unauthorized fake websites, and most importantly, how to avoid being swindled by these e-commerce scammers illegally misrepresenting themselves as Clearance Warehouse USA. Keep reading to learn more about this fraudulent scheme and shop safely.
Scammers Are Illegally Impersonating Clearance Warehouse USA
To be clear, Clearance Warehouse USA located at https://clearancewarehouse.co/ is a 100% legitimate and authorized business. However, elaborate fake websites are being created that are illegally impersonating the real Clearance Warehouse USA in order to scam consumers. These unauthorized fraudulent sites have absolutely no affiliation with the real company. Any website misrepresenting itself as Clearance Warehouse USA should be considered fraudulent.
Overview of the Fake Websites Scam
Online shopping scams involving highly sophisticated fake websites illegally impersonating Clearance Warehouse USA are rapidly increasing. In-depth research indicates these fraudulent sites are part of a broader interconnected scam network known as the “Uniqueness Scam Network” based in China. This network manages an array of fake shopping sites with the sole purpose of defrauding customers.
The operators are completely anonymous, lacking any transparency about who owns or manages these unauthorized counterfeit websites. The Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, About Us and other legal pages appear copied from known scam sites, another indication of their false legitimacy.
These criminal sites display the actual stolen Clearance Warehouse USA logo, images, and branding without permission to mislead customers. However, the legitimate Clearance Warehouse USA company is not affiliated with these scammers in any way.
They bait customers with unrealistic prices on coveted products identical to those on the real site. All product info and inventory photos are stolen, demonstrating the lack of originality.
These fake websites provide no customer service number, physical address, live chat, or other legitimate contact details. This prevents scam victims from reaching the company for any delivery issues.
Once payments are submitted, customers either receive nothing after endless delays or inferior knockoff products made with substandard materials if any shipment even arrives. The sophisticated scam network relies heavily on social media ads to funnel traffic to their convincingly designed but fake websites illegally impersonating Clearance Warehouse USA.
This intricate scam aims to steal money through fraudulent orders, compromise users’ personal and payment data for potential identity theft, and avoid accountability through anonymity. Many scammed shoppers end up losing funds through failed chargebacks and some even have their information misused later on.
How the Scam Unfolds
Here is how this impersonation scam typically unfolds when shoppers encounter these fraudulent websites:
Step 1: Fake Social Media Ads Falsely Promote Clearance Warehouse USA
Scam ads promoting fake closing sales and clearance events are run on social media impersonating the Clearance Warehouse USA brand without permission. For example, “Clearance Warehouse USA Closing Down Sale! Up to 90% off!”
Step 2: Shoppers Land on Deceptive Websites Mimicking Clearance Warehouse USA
The website design, branding, images, and inventory mimic Clearance Warehouse USA to falsely appear as the real company. Prices shown are unrealistic compared to legitimate pricing.
Step 3: Shoppers Submit Orders and Personal Information
During checkout, users enter shipping address, email, payment info, and other personal data which can expose them to identity theft.
Step 4: Users Either Receive Nothing, Counterfeits, or the Wrong Items
Weeks pass with no shipment delivery. Or victims receive cheap knockoffs, used goods, or random improper items instead of what was ordered.
Step 5: Attempt to Recover Funds or Report Fraud
Banks cannot identify the fake merchants, so chargeback attempts fail. Reporting the fraud and unauthorized use of Clearance Warehouse USA branding can help, but recouping funds is very difficult.
Avoiding the Clearance Warehouse USA Impersonation Scam
The best way to steer clear of this scam is to take the following precautions:
- Always visit ClearanceWarehouse.co directly – never go through third-party sites, links, or ads.
- Verify the URL matches the real website and look for the secured lock icon before entering any sensitive info.
- Be skeptical of any claims like liquidation sales, closing events, or prices that seem too steeply discounted on third-party sites. Clearance Warehouse USA will promote valid sales through its official website and social media only.
- Research the seller thoroughly before making any purchase by looking for reviews and complaints.
- Use credit cards when shopping online for purchase protection and fraud resolution assistance. Avoid wire transfers with unauthorized third parties.
- Report fraudulent websites misusing the Clearance Warehouse USA name to help get them shut down and prevent more victims.
Fake Clearance Warehouse USA Website Scam FAQs
Is Clearance Warehouse USA going out of business or liquidating inventory?
No. Clearance Warehouse USA is a legitimate ongoing business. Any website claiming they are closing down or liquidating is a fraudulent website impersonating the real company to scam shoppers.
Are the huge discounts advertised on social media real Clearance Warehouse USA deals?
No. Their real website will not offer unbelievable prices like 90% off sitewide. These are tactics scammers use to entice victims. Clearance Warehouse USA will only advertise valid sales on its official website and social media.
What should I do if I ordered from a fake Clearance Warehouse USA website?
If you placed an order on a fraudulent impersonating website, immediately contact your bank and credit card company to report the charges as fraudulent and request a chargeback providing as much evidence as possible. You can also file a complaint with the FTC.
How can I tell a website is impersonating Clearance Warehouse USA?
Look for red flags like no HTTPS, grammar errors, unbelievable prices, temporary URLs, threatening language, stock images, lack of contact details, and the absence of social media links. The real website will not have these issues.
Is it safe to buy from Clearance Warehouse USA ads and posts on Facebook and Instagram?
No. Scammers can also run fake social media accounts pretending to be Clearance Warehouse USA. Verify social media accounts are legitimate before engaging. Only purchase through the real website at ClearanceWarehouse.co.
Conclusion
With online scammers constantly evolving new tactics like impersonating legitimate businesses, consumers must stay vigilant. Only purchase directly from vetted official brand websites like ClearanceWarehouse.co. When unbelievable deals appear with urgency from unknown third parties, it’s wise to assume they are “too good to be true” scam attempts rather than real opportunities. Avoid supplying personal or payment data to unverified sources, and report fraudulent websites misrepresenting themselves as legitimate brands in order to protect other shoppers and stop these criminal operations. Stay safe shopping online.
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