Scammers Using Trump Tariff Confusion To Trick Online Shoppers, BBB Warns
Scammers are using the confusion surrounding President Donald Trump’s changing tariffs to cover up missing packages and ignore refund requests.
President Donald Trump and an online shopper.
The Better Business Bureau says it’s seeing more reports of shady sellers blaming “tariffs” and “customs delays” when products don’t arrive. In many cases, the sellers vanish after taking your money.
The
BBB
has warned that shoppers aren’t typically responsible for tariffs after buying online and it’s a red flag if a seller says your item is stuck in customs due to tariffs.
“After 2 months of not receiving my product I have emailed this company multiple times and each time the reply is my package is stuck in customs due to… tariffs,” one person told the BBB. “I have requested a refund multiple times. I have no longer gotten any replies from this apparently fake company.”
“The Instagram ad from gotosleeps.com advertised a product that I purchased,” another consumer said. “A tracking number was provided by tracking-hub.com. The order never arrived… the email response has numerous grammatical errors and blamed ‘Trump Tariffs’ as to why the product is delayed.”
The BBB says you should watch out for retailers that blame excessive delays on tariffs or customs, and ask you for more money after checkout. Unreliable sellers may also send you a fake tracking number, show a delivery in another state, and send vague, scripted replies.
Before buying from a social media ad or an unfamiliar website, the BBB recommends:
- Research the business by searching its name with terms like “scam” or “complaint.”
- Inspect the website for misspellings, poor grammar, or suspicious URLs.
- Use credit cards, since they offer better protection than debit cards or payment apps if your product never arrives.
- Save your order confirmation and tracking information in case you need to dispute the charge or file a complaint.
Consumers who spot or fall victim to a scam can report it at
BBB Scam Tracker
.
