Have you seen ads on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok promoting a Vera Bradley warehouse sale with items discounted up to 90% off? At first glance these deals seem too good to pass up. But before you enter your credit card information, read this article to uncover the truth about these viral Vera Bradley sales.
Scam Overview
The ads you’re seeing on social media for Vera Bradley closing sales are a complete scam designed to trick unsuspecting shoppers. Scammers are capitalizing on the Vera Bradley brand recognition to setup fake ecommerce sites offering clearance sales with items discounted to as low as $29.
These scam websites use terms like “liquidation sale,” “warehouse clearance,” and “store closing sale” to create a false sense of urgency. The scam stores are made to look like official Vera Bradley outlets with the company’s logos and product images.
Once you place an order, one of two things will happen:
- You won’t receive anything at all. The website will take your money and you’ll never get the products you ordered.
- You’ll receive a cheap counterfeit item, like a pair of sunglasses or a bracelet. The product delivered will be completely different from what you ordered.
The realization will hit once it’s too late. The websites make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get in contact with any type of customer service. And good luck trying to get your money back.
These viral Vera Bradley sales prey on unsuspecting consumers by offering prices that are too good to be true. They bank on the idea that the deep discounts will cause shoppers to ignore the myriad of red flags.
Don’t be fooled by the scam ads on social media promoting clearance sales with extreme discounts. Vera Bradley products are sold by authorized retailers that do not offer 90% off warehouse sales.
How the Vera Bradley Clearance Sale Scam Works
The scammers running these fake Vera Bradley sales have the process down to a science. Here is exactly how the clearance sale scam works:
Step 1: Bait Social Media Ads
The first point of attack is advertisements on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The scam pages run targeted ads promoting the clearance sales to users who have engaged with Vera Bradley pages or express interest in handbags and accessories.
The ads tout the huge discounts, making claims like “Entire Store 90% Off for Warehouse Clearance” and “Store Closing Sale – All Items Up To 90% Off for Immediate Liquidation.” For example, a Vera Bradley bag normally priced at $158 is advertised at the low price of $29.
The ads are carefully crafted to hook users into clicking through to the scam website. The goal is to make the sale look legitimate by claiming the low prices are due to a warehouse clearance or store closing.
Step 2: Fake Ecommerce Website
Once you click the ad, you are taken to the scam website designed to look like a real Vera Bradley outlet store. The site has Vera Bradley’s logo plastered on the top and the product imagery pulled straight from Vera Bradley’s official website.
At first glance, the website appears to be a legitimate clearance sale for the brand. The site is setup with shopping cart functionality so users can add items and check out.
All product descriptions, pricing, sizing information and imagery are stolen from the real Vera Bradley site or catalogs. This makes the clearance prices appear even more realistic.
The website URL and contact information make the site seem official. But in reality, these sites have no affiliation with the actual Vera Bradley brand.
Step 3: Phony Order Confirmation
After entering payment information and completing the checkout process, users receive an order confirmation email with an official looking order number.
The email thanks customers for their order and states the items will ship within 3-5 business days. Some emails even include fake tracking numbers to make the order appear legitimate during transit.
This order confirmation completes the illusion that you’ve scored an incredible deal on Vera Bradley products. But in reality, your money and information have been stolen by scammers.
Step 4: No Product and No Recourse
A few weeks after placing the order, customers realize something is wrong when no package arrives. Any attempt to contact the company goes directly to a fake customer service email or phone number.
Some customers eventually receive a cheap product like a pair of sunglasses clearly not from Vera Bradley.
Either way, the customer is left with no merchandise and no way to get their money back. The website for the clearance sale is shut down or abandoned shortly after orders are placed.
The sophisticated scam takes advantage of Vera Bradley’s popularity and brand recognition. The fake ads, websites and order confirmations trick users into believing the sales are legitimate.
How to Identify Fake Vera Bradley Clearance Websites
Spotting a Vera Bradley scam website comes down to looking for inconsistencies and telltale signs of fraud. Here are the top 5 things to watch out for:
1. Unbelievable Discounts of Up to 90% Off
Genuine Vera Bradley retailers do not offer clearance discounts of 90% off or more. Vera Bradley does run occasional sales, but prices are typically no more than 50% off regular retail values. If you see a Vera Bradley Original Tote for sale at $29 instead of $158, it should immediately raise suspicions. Claims of “lowest prices ever” or “warehouse liquidation” for 90% off are definite red flags.
2. Recently Created Domains and Websites
Scam sites use new domains created shortly before the sale ads begin running. A quick WHOIS domain lookup will show when the URL was first registered. Genuine retailers have established sites, whereas scam sites hastily set up domains to capitalize on the sale hype. Sites registered in the past few months that claim to be long-running Vera Bradley outlets should be verified.
3. Lack of Verifiable Contact Information
There will be no phone number, physical address, or contact information beyond an email address on scam sites. Vera Bradley’s real retail stores and authorized online retailers provide legitimate phone numbers and retail locations you can independently look up. Be wary of sites with only a contact email or that show made-up addresses.
4. Copied Website Content and Images
Another giveaway is the product descriptions and gallery photos are copied directly from the official Vera Bradley site. Scammers steal the content and images to appear credible, but a reverse image search reveals the source. If the site lacks any unique product descriptions or imagery, it is likely a template scam site.
5. Suspicious Sales Language
Be on high alert for terms like “going out of business,” “last chance,” “free shipping,” “store closing,” and other dubious phrases designed to create urgency. Vera Bradley is not going out of business or closing all their stores. These tactics are intended to get shoppers to buy from scam sites.
Trust your instincts and browse safely when shopping online. Scrutinize websites for legitimacy before entering any personal information or completing a purchase. Spotting the signs of a Vera Bradley scam site comes down to identifying inconsistencies that legitimate retailers simply would not have.sitive information.
How to Identify the Vera Bradley Scam Ads on Social Media
The fake Vera Bradley sales are heavily promoted through targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Here’s how to analyze the social media ads and recognize red flags:
Look out for Facebook ads that seem sponsored by Vera Bradley and promote a huge warehouse clearance sale. The ad copy will boast “entire store 90% off” or “closing down sale.”
Reverse image search any product photos to see if they are stolen from Vera Bradley. Scrutinize the destination URL for inconsistencies with VeraBradley.com. Fake Facebook pages also use altered Vera Bradley logos.
Scam Instagram accounts will have handles unrelated to Vera Bradley, like “@handbagclearancesale” or “@fashionoutletstore.” The bio will typically be empty.
The posts will use enticing captions about the clearance event ending soon with 90% off everything. But a tap on the link goes to an outside scam website instead of VeraBradley.com.
TikTok
Deceiving TikTok videos advertise the fake sales using AI-generated footage with a robotic voiceover. The videos steal official Vera Bradley images and showcase the huge discounts.
The links in the captions and bios of these scam TikTok accounts lead to phishing websites. Comments are also turned off to avoid interactions.
What to Look For
On all platforms, the scam Vera Bradley ads:
- Offer up to 90% off retail prices
- Use “closing sale” and “last chance” captions
- Have links unrelated to VeraBradley.com
- Use stolen Vera Bradley photos
- Are connected to accounts unrelated to Vera Bradley
Apply extra scrutiny to third-party social media ads for unbelievable Vera Bradley sales. Report any suspicious accounts or sales posts you come across on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
What To Do If You’ve Fallen Victim to the Scam
If you placed an order through one of the fraudulent Vera Bradley sales online, here are the steps to take:
1. Contact your bank or credit card company
Immediately reach out to the bank or financial institution that issued the card you used to make the purchase. Alert them that it was an unauthorized transaction and likely fraud.
Ask to dispute the charge and have the transaction reversed. Most credit card companies are willing to remove charges that are confirmed fraudulent.
2. Report the fraudulent website
Lookup the domain registration info for the scam website and report them to the registrar and web host. This can potentially get the site shutdown to prevent future purchases.
You can also report the site to the FTC and IC3 to help build cases against these scammers.
3. Leave online reviews
Post reviews on sites like TrustPilot warning others about the scam website. Make the title clear like “SCAM – Did not receive any products.” This may prevent others from being tricked.
4. Report the social media ads
Report the Facebook, Instagram and TikTok ads to the platforms as fraudulent. Include screenshots of the ads along with a description that it links to a website scamming customers.
5. Monitor bank and credit accounts
Keep a close eye on all bank and credit card statements for any unusual or unknown activity. Scammers could potentially steal and use other personal information entered on the website.
6. Learn from experience
Do your research before making purchases from sales that seem too good to be true. Only order from authorized retailers with secure websites. Be extra cautious of ads on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Unfortunately getting money back from these scammers is very unlikely. But reporting the websites and ads can get them shut down faster. Be proactive as soon as you suspect a purchase is fraudulent.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Vera Bradley Clearance Sale Scam
1. What is the Vera Bradley warehouse clearance scam?
The Vera Bradley warehouse clearance scam refers to fraudulent websites and social media ads that promise clearance sales on Vera Bradley products at extreme discounts of up to 90% off. The scam websites pretend to be official Vera Bradley outlet stores using the company’s logos and product imagery. However, they are not associated with Vera Bradley at all. The scam aims to trick customers into ordering Vera Bradley items at low prices, but people end up receiving nothing or a cheap product not ordered.
2. How can I identify a fake Vera Bradley clearance sale website?
Here are some red flags to recognize a Vera Bradley clearance scam website:
- Claims of a “warehouse clearance” or “store closing sale” at deep discounts
- Recently created domain and website
- No physical address or phone number listed
- Photos stolen from Vera Bradley official site
- Payment goes to non-Vera Bradley account
- Emails sent from non-Vera Bradley addresses
- No way to contact customer service
3. What happens if I order from a Vera Bradley scam website?
If you place an order on a scam Vera Bradley website, one of two things will likely happen. You may never receive anything and lose the money paid. Or you may receive a random, cheap product not matching your order, like a pair of sunglasses instead of a Vera Bradley bag. The scam site will be abandoned once orders are placed, with no way to contact the company.
4. Why are the prices so low on the scam website?
The scam Vera Bradley websites offer prices up to 90% off retail values, such as a $158 bag selling for $29. These unrealistic discounts are intended to get unsuspecting shoppers to ignore red flags and believe the sale is legitimate. Vera Bradley does have sales, but they do not slash prices by 90% off actual values.
5. How can I get my money back if I ordered from a scam website?
If you placed an order on a scam website, immediately contact your bank or credit card company to dispute the charges as fraudulent. You can also report the website to the FTC and IC3. Unfortunately, recovering lost money from these scammers is very difficult, so being proactive is important.
6. Should I order from Vera Bradley websites with clearance sales?
No, you should avoid placing orders on Vera Bradley websites advertising warehouse clearances or closing sales at steep discounts. Only order through the official VeraBradley.com website or well-known retailers like Macy’s and Dillard’s. Be wary of Vera Bradley Facebook and Instagram ads linking to clearance sales.
7. How can I report a fake Vera Bradley website or sale?
Gather all the details about the scam website and report them to the following organizations:
- FTC: Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- IC3: Submit internet crime complaints at ic3.gov
- Domain registrar: Report the website to get its domain revoked
- Social media sites: Report scam ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram
Spreading awareness about fake Vera Bradley sales helps prevent others from being scammed.
8. What are some tips to avoid Vera Bradley clearance sale scams?
These tips can help you steer clear of Vera Bradley sale scams:
- Avoid sales with extreme discounts like 90% off
- Verify the URL – scam sites try to mimic real URLs
- Research unfamiliar sites for reviews and complaints
- Check for a real physical address and customer service number
- Review order confirmation emails for inconsistencies
- Only buy directly from VeraBradley.com or authorized retailers
9. Are the items sold on Vera Bradley scam sites real?
No, the Vera Bradley items advertised at hugely discounted prices on scam sites are counterfeit products. The scam websites steal product photos and descriptions from the official Vera Bradley site to appear legitimate. But they never ship genuine Vera Bradley merchandise purchased. You may get a random, cheap item, but not an authentic Vera Bradley product.
10. What should I do if I shared personal information on a Vera Bradley scam website?
If you entered any personal or financial data on one of these Vera Bradley scam sites, take precautions in case the information gets misused:
- Alert your credit card company and bank
- Monitor credit reports and bank accounts for suspicious activity
- Change online account passwords
- Consider a credit freeze if identity theft is suspected
- File complaints with the FTC and IC3
Never enter information on unfamiliar sites offering unbelievable clearance discounts. Be vigilant to keep your data safe online.
The Bottom Line
The Vera Bradley clearance sale scam serves as a stark reminder to be vigilant online. The scam websites seem incredibly realistic with Vera Bradley branding and product imagery. But recognizing the red flags like extreme discounts and misleading sales language is key.
Simply put, if you come across a Vera Bradley sale offering prices slashed by 90%, it’s too good to be true. Vera Bradley sells quality products through authorized retailers that do not offer fire sale prices. Any website advertising clearances of 90% off retail are scamming customers.
Always research unfamiliar websites before providing payment information. Type the website name along with words like “scam” or “review” to find warning posts if it is fraudulent. Only shop Vera Bradley through verabradley.com or known retailers like Macy’s and Dillard’s.
Scammers are drawn to popular brands like Vera Bradley due to the product recognition and perceived value. Don’t let the FOMO cause you to ignore blatant red flags. When in doubt, trust your gut and avoid making a purchase you may later regret.
Stay vigilant for warning signs like no contact information, stolen photos, and claims of liquidation sales. And never enter personal or financial information on unfamiliar sites offering prices that are simply too good to be true.
