Tecovas is a popular direct-to-consumer Western footwear and apparel brand. However, an insidious scam has emerged involving fraudulent ads promoting unbelievable Tecovas “Clearance Sales” with prices like $29.99 per pair.
This comprehensive guide will uncover everything you need to know about identifying and avoiding this deceptive scam.
Overview of the Tecovas $29.99 Clearance Sale Scam
A deceitful online scam has proliferated recently involving fake advertisements promoting unbelievable Tecovas clearance sales with boots priced at just $29.99 per pair. These fraudulent ads typically appear on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, often using stolen images of real Tecovas boots alongside the absurd pricing.
Some examples of the fake ads include:
- “ACT FAST! All Tecovas boots just $29.99 in blowout clearance sale!”
- “ALMOST OVER! Get Tecovas boots for only $29.99 before the clearance sale ends!”
- “Today only! Tecovas warehouse clearance event – leather boots only $29.99 now!”
- “Hurry, ends in 1 hour! Final call – Tecovas boots just $29.99 in flash clearance sale!”
While appearing convincing at first glance with urgent countdown timers and limited time pressure tactics, these social media ads actually direct to sophisticated fake websites impersonating the real Tecovas site.
These fraudulent sites are essentially parallel scams to the social media ads, designed to further trick victims into believing they are ordering from the real Tecovas store. The fake sites accept real credit card payments from shoppers, but never fulfill any orders.
At best, some customers eventually receive cheap counterfeit boots instead of authentic Tecovas footwear after ordering from these scam websites. However, much more commonly, victims receive absolutely nothing at all after being deceived and ripped off by the scams.
To make matters even worse, these fake Tecovas websites also harvest users’ personal information during checkout, including full names, home addresses, phone numbers, and credit card numbers entered on the site. This further violates victims by exposing their sensitive data to potential identity theft and malicious use by the overseas scammers operating these schemes.
How the Tecovas $29.99 Clearance Sale Scam Works
Here is an in-depth explanation of how these criminals execute this scam on unsuspecting shoppers:
Step 1 – Create a Fake E-Commerce Website
The scammers purchase domain names that sound similar to Tecovas’ real website, typically misspelling it or using alternate extensions like “.co”. For example, “TecovasBootsClearance.co” or “TecovasOutlet.net”.
They design the site to imitate the real Tecovas site by copying product images, logos, fonts, page layouts and more. Plagiarized text and policies are used throughout the site as well.
This carefully mimicked website aims to trick customers into believing it is Tecovas’ authorized online store. But the rock-bottom pricing and merchandise being promoted are fictitious.
Step 2 – Promote Outrageous Discount Offers
Once the fake site is ready, the scam shifts to blasting out ads on social media and search platforms touting unbelievable clearance prices.
Sponsored posts tout dramatic discounts like “Get Tecovas boots for just $29.99!” or “Entire clearance sale just $29.99 per pair!”. Tecovas’ real product imagery is used alongside these ads to further perpetuate the scam.
Urgent countdown timers, limited stock claims and other high-pressure tactics create false scarcity and pressure victims to purchase before these phony sales allegedly expire.
Step 3 – Collect Financial and Personal Data
When a victim visits the scam website and attempts to place an order, they get directed through a convincing checkout process designed to harvest their financial and personal information.
Shoppers are prompted to input credit card details, billing address, phone number, email address and any other requested info. All data gets stolen directly by the criminals operating the fake site, and credit cards get charged.
Step 4 – Provide Fake Order Confirmations
After completing the checkout steps, victims receive authentic-looking order confirmations made to seem like a real order was placed.
These contain order numbers, shipping details, item descriptions, delivery ETAs and claims that the order is being processed. Some even include fake tracking numbers that never actually ship.
The professional confirmations give customers a false sense their order is en route, when the entire exchange was scam. No valid order exists.
Step 5 – Never Ship Any Products
With payments stolen and data harvested, the crooks behind these websites simply disappear. They never possessed any real Tecovas merchandise in the first place.
Most victims never receive anything from these scam transactions. In limited cases some shoppers eventually receive cheap counterfeits clearly not matching their original order.
Either way, the fake clearance sale websites never intended to ship any authentic products. Their only goal is theft through deception.
8 Warning Signs of a Tecovas Clearance Sale Scam
While the fraudulent sites put great effort into appearing legitimate, some key indicators can help identify them as fakes:
- Unrealistically Low Pricing – Authentic Tecovas sales will offer reasonable discounts, but $29.99 per pair is absurdly cheap.
- High Pressure Tactics – Scam ads use countdown timers, limited stock claims, and other manipulative tactics to create false urgency.
- Incorrect URL – Fake sites often misspell “Tecovas” or use alternate domain extensions. Verify it is the exact valid URL: Tecovas.com.
- Unknown Payment Methods – Tecovas only accepts major credit cards, PayPal, Afterpay and Affirm. Other unfamiliar digital payment options are suspicious.
- No Contact Information – Aside from an email address, scam sites won’t provide a real location, phone number, or other verifiable contact information.
- Copied Website Content – Fakes steal product info, policies, text, and more directly from Tecovas’ real website.
- No Social Media Activity – Fraud sites have no social media presence or engagement. Tecovas has large legitimate social channels.
- Grammatical Errors – Scam sites often contain spelling/grammar mistakes and other textual flaws indicating foreign operators.
Being alert for these warning indicators can help shoppers avoid being deceived by clearance sale scams impersonating Tecovas’ brand and reputation.
How to Spot This Scam on Social Media
A major element of this scam involves promoting the fake Tecovas deals through social media ads. Here’s what to look out for on each platform:
Identifying the Scam on Facebook
Watch out for:
- Facebook ads promoting unrealistic pricing like “All Tecovas boots just $29.99!” or “Tecovas clearance sale – boots $29.99 today only!”.
- Urgency tactics in ads saying “Limited stock!” or “Sale ends in 1 hour!”. This creates false scarcity.
- Links from Facebook ads going to dubious URLs instead of the real Tecovas site: Tecovas.com.
- Newly created Facebook pages promoting the sales but lacking any real engagement or followers.
- Use of Tecovas’ imagery alongside the unrealistic clearance sale pricing to portray false affiliation.
Catching the Scam on Instagram
Look for:
- Influencer posts touting the unbelievable $29.99 pricing and directing to scam websites in bios/captions.
- Instagram photo ads showing real Tecovas boots with $29.99 price tags that seem too good to be true.
- Instagram Stories linking to phishing Tecovas lookalike sites loaded with red flags.
- Hard-sell urgency tactics in Instagram captions like “24 hrs only!” to pressure victims.
- Handles with typos like “@TecovasBoots” instead of the real “@Tecovas” account.
Spotting the Scam on TikTok
Watch out for:
- Video ads rapidly flashing “$29.99 Tecovas boots” messaging over images of real merchandise.
- Comments on popular videos promoting the bogus deals and linking to fake Tecovas sites.
- Hashtags like #tecovasclearancesale used in captions to get views but directing to shady websites.
- Influencer videos advising followers to purchase from a scam site “before it sells out!”.
- Links in bios/captions going to dubious domains with misspellings of “Tecovas”.
Carefully inspecting social posts for these red flags can help consumers avoid being targeted by clearance sale scams across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
What to Do If You Already Fell for the Scam
If you placed an order on one of these fraudulent websites, provided your information, and then realized it was a scam, here are the important steps to take right away:
Step 1 – Contact Your Credit Card Provider
If you paid with a credit or debit card, contact the issuer immediately to report the charges as fraudulent. Disputing quickly leads to successful chargebacks and refunds before payments finalize.
Step 2 – Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit
Since scammers have your details, put a fraud alert on your credit reports requiring verification for new accounts. Check reports for any suspicious activity indicating identity theft.
Step 3 – Reset Online Account Passwords
Change passwords on all accounts that used the same credentials entered on the scam site. Use unique complex passwords for each to prevent account access.
Step 4 – Call Tecovas Customer Service
Contact real Tecovas customer service to notify them of the fraudulent website misusing their name and scamming customers. Provide details to assist with takedowns.
Step 5 – Report the Fake Website
File detailed scam reports about the website, merchant accounts, and domain registrar to the FTC, IC3, BBB, web hosts, social media platforms, etc. to get the site removed and prevent future victims.
Step 6 – Warn Others About This Scam
Share your experience on social media and scam reporting sites to bring awareness to these tactics being used and help others avoid meeting the same fate.
By acting swiftly if scammed and spreading awareness, consumers have the power to shut down these frauds.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tecovas Clearance Sale Scam
This pervasive scam leaves many shoppers with critical questions. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:
Are the $29.99 Tecovas deals on social media real?
No – ads and posts promoting $29.99 Tecovas boots are fake in nearly every case. Real Tecovas sales will offer reasonable discounts, not absurdly low pricing like $29.99 per pair. This is a textbook scam tactic.
What happens if I order from a $29.99 Tecovas website?
Most likely you will never receive anything. In some cases victims receive poor quality knockoffs instead of genuine boots. Either way, the sites pocket your money and details with no intent to ship real Tecovas products.
How can I tell if a Tecovas website is fake?
Warning signs include unrealistic low pricing, grammatical errors, unknown payment methods, lack of contact details, false scarcity claims, stolen images/content, and invalid URLs (should always be Tecovas.com).
Can I get a refund if I ordered from a scam site?
If you paid by credit card, immediately contact your provider to report fraudulent charges. Disputing quickly can lead to successful chargebacks before the payments finalize, allowing your funds to be returned.
Why do scammers use the Tecovas brand?
Tecovas is a popular and trusted brand. Scammers exploit this reputation to create an air of legitimacy that helps lure in victims. But the fake sites have no actual relationship with Tecovas.
Is my information at risk if I entered it on a fake site?
Yes – scam sites steal your personal and financial data directly for fraudulent purposes like identity theft. Check your credit reports and enable fraud alerts immediately if your information was compromised.
How can I report a fraudulent Tecovas website or ad?
Gather details and screenshots then report the scam website or social media ad to Tecovas, FTC, BBB, social platforms, web hosts, domain registrars, etc. to expedite takedowns and prevent future victims.
Why don’t social platforms catch these scam ads themselves?
While policies prohibit scam promotions, the massive volume makes it very difficult to fully prevent fraudsters from exploiting platforms like Facebook and Instagram to advertise before being caught.
Carefully inspecting social posts and websites for warning signs remains your best defense against falling for this far-reaching scam.
The Bottom Line
The Tecovas $29.99 Clearance Sale scam provides another example of just how far scammers will go to impersonate trusted brands and lure in bargain-seeking customers. But being an informed shopper, carefully inspecting sites, and trusting your instincts can keep you from being deceived.
If you accidentally provide information or purchase from one of these sophisticated fake websites, take immediate action by reporting the fraud, monitoring your credit, and securing your online accounts. Continued public awareness of their underhanded tactics is crucial to halting these schemes altogether.
