Watch out for scammers if you want to win exit sales with Joann Stores closure.
Both the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Administration have issued warnings about scammers targeting internet users with fake transactions of 80-90% off via fake liquidation websites.
The scam tactic comes this month when the last remaining Joan store closes the door. A craft retailer who has been in business for over 80 years filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January.
Here’s what you need to know about shopping safely when Joan closes the door:
Joan tells customers to shop in the store rather than online
As of March 5th, purchases on Joann.com are disabled and shoppers are looking to take part in sales outside of business, so they need to access in-person locations, Joann said in a note at the top of the official website.
“Beware of fake Joanne’s website,” the company wrote. “There are no other authorized Joan Shopping websites. Please check out our local stores for all craft needs. Stock varies depending on location.”
According to the company’s website, all stores will be closed by the end of May, with 70-90% off items still ongoing.
Shoppers warned of fraud
The FTC and BBB each issued warnings that unsuspecting customers could view ads on social media for Joan’s “out-of-business” sales. When a customer clicks on an ad, they are directed at a website that looks like a legitimate Joann website.
The fake website contains the actual company logo and lists products that are 80-90% off.
“The products on sale seem legal to sell because they are well-versed in purchasing at Joanne,” BBB said. “When you start adding items to your cart, you may be offered additional promotional discounts that lower the price even further.”
However, the website’s URL is not www.joann.com, BBB said. Instead, the URL is for scammers on websites created to steal personal information.
“The website looked the same,” says the victim of the scam
According to one customer who submitted the report on April 28th, he saw an ad for 90% liquidation sales on Facebook.
“The website looked the same as (Joanne) Fabric,” a customer wrote in a report to BBB’s fraud tracker. “I didn’t send them any money. Now they’re spamming my email with an urgent email saying they can’t keep my order.”
The customer said he was happy they checked for scams before adding payment information to the website and placing an order.
“I hope my experience doesn’t spare anyone else,” the customer wrote, adding that the email address associated with the scam is service@jo-ann-storesale.com.
Another customer said on March 17 that “the scammers have copied the Joann Fabrics website in extreme detail.”
The customer thought the site they ordered was legal, but after waiting 3 weeks and not receiving the item or tracking number, they knew something was wrong.
“After waiting and trying to send an email inquiry without a response, I finally decided to call them with the number listed on their website,” the customer wrote. “I got a recorded line trying to sell insurance, when I realized it was a scam.”
How to protect your information and avoid fraud
The BBB said customers who shop online can take the following steps to ensure that they don’t sacrifice victims of scams targeting Joann’s customers:
- Please check the website URL. Fake website URLs are often out of one or two letters or contain additional words.
- Please do not click on the link. You will be directed to the official website.
- If something seems too good, keep in mind that it is probably the case.
- Use your credit card for online purchases as credit cards offer additional fraud protection that debit cards do not have.
- Please do not submit personal information such as your Social Security number.
Contributed by: Jonathan Lime House
Saleen Martin is a reporter for the USA Today Now team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – 757. Email her to sdmartin@usatoday.com.
