Scammers are capitalizing on the popularity of chocolate and tricking candy lovers out of money and personal data. Fraudsters are creating fake Hershey’s chocolate shop websites disguised as authorized dealers offering unbelievable “liquidation” and “clearance” sales.
These sham sites lure in customers using the trusted Hershey’s brand and advertise massive discounts of up to 90% off genuine Hershey’s chocolate bars, Kisses, Reese’s, and more. However, they are scams intended only to defraud victims and never deliver the advertised savings on authentic chocolates.
This guide will examine how the Hershey’s chocolate sale scam works, red flags to recognize fraudulent websites, potential outcomes of placing orders, steps to take if you are victimized, and most importantly – how to avoid falling for these chocolate bar scams in the first place.
How the Hershey’s Chocolate Scam Operates
Let’s examine the deceptive strategies scammers use to successfully build trust and push victims into making chocolate bar purchases through their sham websites:
Manipulative Domain Names
Rather than using Hershey’s branding directly, fraudsters favor manipulative domain names containing keywords like “Hershey’s,” “chocolate,” “factory,” “wholesale,” and “clearance.” Examples include “HersheysFactoryOutletStore” or “ChocolateClearanceWarehouse.”
This naming tactic hijacks search traffic and implies authorized affiliation. But the domains actually have zero relationship with Hershey’s itself.
Realistic Looking Website Designs
Beyond just the domain, scam chocolate shop sites invest heavily in professional templates that mirror official Hershey’s branding. They incorporate the same logos, fonts, navigation and imagery to appear as a licensed dealer at first glance.
To casual visitors, the websites come across as a real online Hershey’s store. But in reality it is an intricate scam facade with no actual inventory or chocolate products.
Advertising Fake Limited-Time Deals
A core strategy for driving impulse purchases is promoting short-lived clearance events and liquidation sales with deep discounts.
Scammers create false urgency and excitement using tactics like countdown timers, statements about limited quantities, and claims that sales end soon. But the amazing discounts up to 90% off are completely fabricated.
Stealing Brand Assets
Nearly all chocolate bar images used on scam sites are stolen directly from Hershey’s without permission. Logos, candy photos and other assets are copied to make the fake chocolate stores seem legitimate.
Some sites even have pictures of new candy products not yet released to the public. This makes it appear as if the scam stores have inside access directly from Hershey’s.
Generating Fake Customer Reviews
Fraudulent chocolate shop websites typically contain fake customer reviews praising the ordering experience, delicious products and unbeatable prices.
These are completely invented reviews fabricated to boost trust and establish legitimacy for otherwise unknown websites. Without the ability to leave real warnings, new visitors assume past purchasers validated the “deals.”
Disabling Real User Feedback
While fake reviews are added, actual user comments are disabled on scam sites to suppress fraud warnings and negative feedback.
This allows the fraudulent stores to maintain total control of product narratives. Disabling real reviews stops victims from posting warnings to expose the sham discounts and non-delivery.
Deception Contact and Policies
Scam chocolate shop websites also create deception satisfaction guarantees, shipping policies and contact forms. But in reality, there are no working ways to actually reach the scammers or activate protections.
Once payments are processed, victims find no avenue to request refunds or even contact the fake chocolate stores. Any policies posted are completely fake and for show only.
Anonymity of Operators
Fraudulent candy sale websites provide absolutely zero legitimate business registration details, location information, owner identities or other standard transparency data.
This anonymity allows fly-by-night websites to take the money and instantly disappear without a trace once the scam is discovered. Victims have no way to pursue recourse.
Collecting Personal and Payment Data
While no chocolate products are delivered, the fake Hershey’s websites excel at harvesting users’ financial and personal data during checkout.
Customer details entered like names, addresses, phone numbers and credit card info are valuable to scammers and frequently exploited in secondary frauds. This compounds the damages beyond just the lost order funds.
What Victims Experience After Ordering
Here are the common outcomes users encounter after placing chocolate bar orders through the fraudulent Hershey’s shop websites:
No Products Delivered
The most frequent result is customers receive absolutely nothing after the fake chocolate stores accept payment. Phone numbers and emails associated with the sites go dead and no candy ever ships.
Scammers take the money and have no intent or capability to actually source and deliver any authentic Hershey’s products. The websites are complete shams designed only to steal funds.
Cheap Counterfeits and Knockoffs
Some scam victims do receive shipments after placing orders, but not genuine Hershey’s bars as described online. Instead, they get poor-quality knock-offs and fake candy clearly made in China.
These are cheap imitations trying to resemble real Hershey’s chocolate. But it’s easy to discern the difference in packaging quality, materials, and taste – proving they are fraudulent.
Used, Expired or Tampered Items
Other candy orders arrive clearly tampered with, expired, or previously opened and repackaged. The condition shows the items are not authentic new Hershey’s products directly from a supplier.
This demonstrates the scam websites have zero actual relationships with Hershey’s and are simply scrounging for discarded items to dump on victims. Certainly not the deals described during checkout.
Random Unrelated Items
Some scam victims receive random junk in the mail totally unrelated to chocolate bars or candy in general. This includes plastic gadgets, phone cases, beauty products, and other oddities straight from China.
Again, this illustrates how the websites have no real candy inventory or intent to satisfy orders. They simply mail whatever discarded items are on hand to loosely mimic fulfillment while scamming victims out of money.
Identity Theft Risks
Even users wise enough to avoid charges are still at risk by entering their details into scam chocolate shop sites. Their names, addresses, birthdates and other data can easily be used for identity theft and other frauds.
Criminals frequently exploit stolen personal information obtained from phishing websites. So it’s critical to avoid engaging at all with fake Hershey’s chocolate sale stores and exposing sensitive data.
Steps to Take if Scammed By a Fake Site
If you unfortunately fell victim to a scam chocolate website, take these immediate steps to limit damages:
- Contact your credit card provider to report fraudulent charges. Request a chargeback on any transactions related to the scam website orders. Move quickly, as longer wait times reduce your odds of successfully contesting payments.
- Place fraud alerts on your credit reports to guard against potential identity theft using your compromised details. Free 90-day alerts are available from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion bureaus.
- Monitor financial statements closely for any unusual activity and report unauthorized transactions promptly to your bank or provider. Ongoing vigilance is key.
- Consider changing passwords on any online accounts that shared information entered on the scam websites as a preventative measure. Prioritize accounts containing sensitive personal or financial information.
- Frequently check your credit reports through Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to help identify any indicators of identity theft, such as new accounts or credit checks from your stolen details.
- Avoid further scams by applying extra scrutiny to tempting deals and unfamiliar websites going forward. Only order from chocolate stores you can completely verify are authorized retailers.
- File detailed scam reports with the FBI, FTC, state attorney general and other relevant authorities. Your complaints help build cases and prevent more victimization.
While risks from stolen data cannot ever be fully eliminated, taking countermeasures helps limit the ability of scammers to further exploit the details they obtained illegally. Be proactive to frustrate their efforts.
Avoiding Hershey’s Chocolate Scams
Here are some tips for spotting and avoiding fake Hershey’s chocolate shop websites:
- Verify sellers – Research stores extensively and look up business registrations before providing payment information or placing orders. Confirm their legitimacy.
- Avoid sales pressure – Don’t allow countdown timers, limited quantity claims or other fictitious urgencies to push you into hasty purchases. Wait and thoroughly vet websites first.
- Beware “too good to be true” – Extreme discounts like 90% off are always too good to be true. Hershey’s does not offer such unrealistic pricing on its real website.
- Compare product photos – Scammers steal official candy images. Identical Hershey’s product copies indicate a scam site.
- Read reviews carefully – Fake reviews are vague and generic. Seek out critical reviews on independent sites like Trustpilot and Reddit.
- Avoid new unknown sites – Stick to chocolate retailers you recognize like Hersheys.com and verified partners. Never order from unfamiliar stores.
- Pay securely – Never pay by bank transfer, wire or crypto. Only use credit cards with fraud protections so you can contest scam charges.
- Search scam forums – Look on scam identification sites to see if a website is called out as fraudulent by past victims.
With knowledge of their deceptive tactics, you can outsmart fake chocolate shop scams and enjoy real Hershey’s deals safely. Don’t let the promise of drastic savings override your common sense. By applying scrutiny and skepticism, you can foil fraudsters’ plans to swindle chocolate lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Hershey’s Chocolate Shop Scam
Are there real Hershey’s sales going on now?
Hershey’s runs promotions on its website, but beware of major markdowns from mystery third-party sites. Fake chocolate store scams abound. Check Hersheys.com directly for available deals you can trust.
How can I tell if a Hershey’s sale site is fake?
Warning signs include prices too good to be true, stolen brand images, countdown timers, disabled reviews, credit card-only payments, and no physical address. Verify legitimacy through research before purchasing.
What happens if I order from a scam chocolate site?
Most likely you’ll receive nothing and lose your money entirely. Sometimes people get knockoffs, expired candy or random junk instead of Hershey’s bars. The best case is realizing it’s a scam in time to do a credit card chargeback.
Can I get a refund if scammed by a fraudulent candy site?
Getting money back directly from scammers is extremely rare. Act immediately upon realizing it’s a scam to have any chance of a successful credit card chargeback. The criminals behind fake sites will not respond or refund anyone.
What should I do if a fake chocolate site stole my information?
Contact credit bureaus for fraud alerts on your files, monitor financial statements for misuse, change account passwords, check credit reports frequently, and take preventative identity theft steps. Unfortunately compromised data cannot be recovered fully.
Where can I report fake Hershey’s websites?
File detailed scam reports with the FBI, FTC, state attorney general, and other enforcement agencies. These complaints aid law enforcement in pursuing fraud rings and stopping repeat offending sites. The more they understand current tactics, the better chance they have at catching crooks.
How can I avoid Hershey’s chocolate scams in the future?
Always thoroughly verify sites before providing payment information or placing orders. Research sellers, compare product photos, read real reviews, and avoid shady unknown sites. Never pay using direct bank transfer – use only credit cards with fraud protections.
Conclusion
In summary, illicit websites disguised as authorized Hershey’s chocolate retailers rely on convincing brand replicas and tantalizing fake discounts to trick candy buyers. But what appears a spectacular deal is just a scam aimed at stealing your money and personal information.
Recognizing the deceptive red flags outlined here is key to avoid ending up with nothing but compromised data and funds lost to crooks. Use this knowledge to see through scam tricks and discern real chocolate bargains from well-disguised frauds.
Stay vigilant this shopping season and always verify a website’s validity extensively before placing orders or entering payment details – no matter how sweet the deal appears. Outsmart these chocolate bar scammers by protecting your money and identity with savvy shopping skills. Don’t let alluring chocolate discounts melt your caution away.
