Lakiso Scam Stores Ripping Off Buyers With Fake Skeleton Pendants
Lakiso is a fraudulent online store that lure buyers with pictures of quality handmade skeleton pendants, doll costumes, etc but delivers cheap inferior knock off after receiving payments. This is a classic case of bait and switch scam. (See image below)
The first red flag is the telephone number ‘+1 (844) 909-4899’ on its contact page. A search online shows that the exact telephone number is being used by lots of fraudulent websites that engage in credit card fraud, no delivery of items, and bait & switch scam.
How Does The Lakiso Scam Store Work?
The scammers set up multiple websites ‘pendantus.lakiso.com, skeletonus.lakiso.com, dollcostume.lakiso.com, skeleton-pendant.lakiso.com, etc’. Then uses the various websites to run Ads on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook, using ‘Discount Sale’ as a hook. Customers are lured with the tempting discounts and countdown timer which creates a sense of urgency.
However, after placing an order on the fraudulent websites, they are sent a cheap knock off of the items displayed on the store. When they attempt to contact the store for refunds, they’re told to pay exorbitant shipping fee to China.
.Customers are also at risk of of hacked credit cards, data theft, and phishing scams when they shop from this store .
Lakiso.com Warning Signs That Prove It’s a Fraudulent Store
Fake Business Address
The store displays ‘548 Market St #14148, San Francisco, CA 94104 USA’ as its business address but in reality it is not located there. Lakiso is actually a China based store that operates from China. As a result of this shipping and delivery takes weeks
Recently Registered Websites
The websites are all registered between August 2023 – October 2023. This means the Lakiso brand has been open for barely few months. So the store has no reputation and could easily shut down any time.
Poor Customer Support
Emails sent to the store’s email address ‘[email protected]’ are not replied even when marked ‘TREAT AS URGENT’.
Too Good To Be True Discount & Sales Offer
The discount margin is too large and unrealistic even on a sale. What this store simply does is use the cheap price as a bait to lure buyers. When people see the low price, they become tempted to take a risk.
What To Do If You’re a Victim of Lakiso.com Scam
Contact Your bank To Cancel The Transaction and Get a Refund
The first thing you should do is contact your bank to inform them about the fraudulent purchase. Through the chargeback system, you can get your money back from the transaction if you file a dispute claim. You could also request for a credit card freeze. That way, your bank would block any future transactions on your credit card, ensuring that scammers are unable to exploit it.
Update Your Passwords and Enable Two Factor Authentication
The second step you should take is updating your passwords. This should be done if you’ve used the same password you used on this Serendipityca.com on other websites or applications. You should also go an extra step of enabling two-factor authentication. This would keep you protected from data breech.
Meanwhile, you should beware of any fraudulent email from Lakiso. Do not click on any suspicious link in the email, as it could be a phishing scam. Clicking on the link might install malware on your phone which could compromise your device’s security.
Report the Scam
Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
- Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.
How To Shop Smartly Online & Protect Yourself From Online Store Scam
Aside from the obvious too good to be true discount sale, here are other ways to identify a scam website;
Search for Reviews Online
Are there customer reviews online? (It is advised that you sit it out if there are no customer reviews of the store. However if you’re not patient enough to wait you can send a mail to us to verify if the store is legit)
Find Out If The Website Has SSL Encryption
find out if the website is secured with SSL encryption. (https and padlock symbols). If the padlock symbol doesn’t appear near the website’s URL, then it means your personal and financial information is at risk at the store.
Verify The Physical Address
Does The website provide return address? If Yes (Copy the address and paste on your browser. Google map would show if it is a real warehouse address or a residential address) If the address has also been used by other websites you’d see reviews in search results.
Check The Website’s Age
How old is the website? The domain age of a website tells a lot about a store’s legitimacy or transparency. Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe. You can find out a website’s age by checking on Who.is ( a free domain checker tool)
Read The Store’s Returns and Refund policy
If the policy isn’t available or if it isn’t clear, you should quit shopping.
Use Secure methods of Payment
When an online store’s payment methods lack the necessary encryption and security measures to protect customers’ sensitive financial information, it puts you – the shopper at risk of unauthorized transactions.
Conclusion
Lakiso is a scam and untrustworthy store you should avoid at all costs. It engages in bait and switch scam, delivering inferior products instead of what was advertised. Meanwhile, just like Sambicycles, Mantiard, your credit card details is at risk of being stolen by this fraudulent store.
