Your weekly dose of scam-proofing in 3 minutes or less—no fluff, no corporate BS, just the latest hacks, scams, phishing attacks, and cyber cons you actually need to know about.

🚨SCAM OF THE WEEK: PRODUCT & SERVICE SCAMS

You pay. You lose. End of story.

What the hell is a Product or Service Scam?

You buy something online. You either get nothing, or you get garbage. No product. No service. No refund.

The seller? Disappears faster than your faith in humanity.

How does it work?

1. The fake shop:
   You see an ad online—cheap gadgets, must-have fitness gear, miracle skincare. The site looks legit. The prices look amazing. That’s the trap.
   

2. The hook:
   You hand over your money, thinking you’ve scored a deal.

3. The reality:
   Your order never shows up. Or what you get is worthless junk. And when you try to complain? The website’s gone, the email bounces, and you’re left with nothing but buyer’s remorse.

Why does it work?

✅ The sites look polished enough to fool most people.
✅ People love a bargain and hate missing out.
✅ Social media ads are full of these scams, and people fall for them daily.
✅ Once you’ve sent the money, the scammer’s job is done. They don’t do refunds.

Scammers exploit impulse buying. Fake urgency, fake reviews, fake discounts—it’s all part of the con.

Real-world facepalms

• 💸 2023 – Facebook Fake Shops: Floods of ads for kitchen gadgets, home fitness gear, and toys. Thousands of victims. Zero actual products.
  
  

  💸 Luxury goods scams: Branded handbags, shoes, jewellery—all fake. Victims handed over cash and got cheap counterfeits or nothing at all.
  
  

  💸 “Free trial” traps: Supplements, skin creams, tech subscriptions—sign up for the “free trial,” get hit with recurring charges that are impossible to cancel.

How to not get suckered

• If the price looks stupid cheap, assume it’s a scam.

• Always check independent reviews.

• Pay by credit card for extra protection—never crypto, wire transfer, or anything untraceable.

• Check the seller’s website URL carefully.

• Avoid sellers pushing countdown timers and fake “limited stock” tactics. That’s scammer 101.
  
  

  If you find it in a dodgy social media ad at 2AM, don’t act surprised when you get ripped off. Take a breath, do your homework, and buy from somewhere you trust. 🤙

⚡ SHARP CYBERSECURITY TIP

Never reuse the same password across multiple sites. That one password you used for your 2015 online shopping account? It’s probably for sale on the dark web. Use a password manager. No excuses.

🔥 ONE-LINER HOT TAKE

If your discount looks insane, it’s because it’s designed to make you ignore your common sense.

That’s it for this week.

Catch you next time,

Dan & the Goldphish Team

📌 P.S. Know someone who can’t resist a £20 “designer” handbag? Forward this before they end up funding a scammer’s retirement or subscribe below.👇