Fake ad examples: the kinds official sources describe
These are kinds of ads that consumer agencies and police describe, in their words and with their pages linked. We name no shop, no brand and no person, because a description is not an accusation.
Nine kinds of fake ad, from official pages
Each card is a kind of ad that an official page describes, shortened and in plain words. The page is linked under each one. A kind of ad is not a finding about any shop: an ad that looks like one of these still needs the checks on the home page.
A brand-name product at a very low price
Ads that run brand-name products at unusually low prices, linking to a site designed to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit item.
Source: FTC, Nov 2025, opened on .
A shopping site reached through a social media ad or a search “shopping” page
Prices consistently lower than other stores; victims received something other than what they ordered. The site used content copied from other sites and listed the same contact details for several shops.
Source: FBI IC3, Aug 2020, opened on .
An ad on a classified or resale site, a pop-up or a company page
Fake ads are posted on classified and resale sites, through website pop-ups and on fake company websites, for items that can be almost anything.
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Jan 2026, opened on .
A rental at a below-average price
Ads for rentals in ideal locations at below-average prices, with photos taken from other ads, and a request that a payment be made quickly.
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Jan 2026, opened on .
A pet offered at a low price
After a few messages you are asked to send one payment after another for shipping, vaccinations or certificates; the pet never arrives.
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Jan 2026; FBI IC3, Nov 2023, opened on .
An e-mail about a hard-to-find item
E-mails advertising hot-ticket or hard-to-find items, such as event tickets or gaming systems, from a source that is not legitimate.
Source: FBI IC3, Nov 2023, opened on .
A post that seems to come from a friend
Social media posts, often appearing to have been shared by a known friend, offering vouchers, gift cards, freebies and contests.
Source: FBI IC3, Nov 2023, opened on .
A fake site placed at the top of search results
Scammers use misleading ads to place fake sites right at the top of the search results page, hoping people click without scrolling to the real results.
Source: Swiss NCSC, Jul 2025, opened on .
A link in a text, e-mail or social media post
Links in messages and posts, often with unbelievable offers, lead to websites designed to look like legitimate online stores and managed by criminals.
Source: UK NCSC, opened on .
What does an ad for a brand-name product at a very low price look like?
The FTC’s alert of 25 November 2025 says some ads promote brand-name products at unusually low prices and that the link may lead to a site designed to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit item. An FBI alert of 3 August 2020 describes people led to shopping sites by social media ads or search “shopping” pages, drawn by prices consistently lower than other stores, who received something other than what they ordered, or nothing.
What do fake ads on classified sites, pop-ups and company pages look like?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says fraudsters post fake ads on classified and resale sites, in website pop-ups and on fake company websites, for items that can be almost anything: tickets, electronics, clothing, rentals, vehicles. Its rule of thumb is that if the asking price is too good to be true, it is. For rentals it describes below-average prices and a request to pay quickly, and for pets one payment after another.
What about emails, posts from “friends” and search results?
The FBI’s 2023 alert lists e-mails advertising hard-to-find items such as event tickets or gaming systems, and social media posts, often appearing to be shared by a friend, offering vouchers, gift cards, freebies and contests. The Swiss federal cybersecurity centre warns that scammers use misleading ads to place fake sites at the top of search results, and the UK NCSC says links in texts, e-mails and social media posts can lead to fake shops.
What do the sources say to do with an ad like these?
They agree on a few steps: do not click a link you did not expect, and type the retailer’s address yourself or search for it and read past the first result (UK NCSC); search the seller and its address with “review”, “complaint” or “scam” (FTC); check the contact details, terms and registration date (FBI, Swiss NCSC); pay by credit card where you can (FTC, Europol, UK NCSC). The checker on the home page puts those checks in one list.
Questions about fake ad examples
Is every ad with a big discount fake?
No. The sources describe prices far below normal as a sign to look closer, not as proof. Compare the price with other shops you know and check the other signs.
Why does this page name no shops?
Because the agencies describe patterns and this site is not an authority on any shop. Naming a business as fraudulent without a finding from the authorities would be an accusation we cannot support.
Can I trust an ad because I saw it on a big platform?
The sources we opened say the opposite is possible: the FBI and the Swiss NCSC describe fake shops reached through social media ads or search results, and the FTC describes ads that lead to sites built to take your money. Where an ad was shown says nothing about the shop.
Where can I see how an agency words these warnings?
Each card links to the page it comes from and shows the date the page carries. Those pages are the authority, and they may have changed since we opened them.
What if the ad shows a celebrity or a public figure?
Not confirmed. We did not open an official page that describes it, so this page does not.
Check an address, report, and what to do next.
Sources and limits
- How to avoid an online shopping scam this holiday season
Ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices may lead to a site built to take your money; a seller that takes only gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency is probably a scam; search the seller and its address with “review”, “complaint” or “scam”; pay by credit card; keep records.
Federal Trade Commission (US consumer protection agency), Consumer Alert. Page dated: 25 November 2025. Opened on .
- FBI Sees Rise In Online Shopping Scams (I-080320-PSA)
Reported indicators of fake shopping sites (low prices, addresses registered within the last six months, copied content and shared contact details, advertised on social media), tips (check the domain registration through Whois, check reviews and the contact details) and the steps for a victim.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Public Service Announcement. Page dated: 3 August 2020. Opened on .
- 2023 Holiday Shopping Scams (I-111523-PSA)
Untrusted websites and social media ads with unrealistic discounts, retailers that use a free e-mail service, wariness of wire transfers, virtual currency, gift cards or cash, the advice not to judge a company by a flashy website, and the steps for a victim.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Public Service Announcement. Page dated: 15 November 2023. Opened on .
- Merchandise
Fake ads appear on classified and resale sites, in pop-ups and on fake company websites; if the asking price is too good to be true, it is; counterfeit sellers often show no customer phone number or e-mail.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Page dated: modified 16 January 2026. Opened on .
- Week 28: Spotting scam websites
Checks for a shop you do not know: reviews, a very large number of five-star ratings, the website address (typos, odd hyphens), the domain registration date (most reported domains under three months old turned out to be scams; the registry may show only the first registration), contact details, terms and conditions, unusual payment demands, and that a padlock does not mean trustworthy. It also says a shop with no reviews might simply be new.
National Cyber Security Centre (Swiss federal government). Page dated: 15 July 2025. Opened on .
- Shopping and paying safely online
Fake shops copy logos and products and use a deceptive domain that resembles a real one; type the known address or search instead of clicking a link; use a credit card (Consumer Credit Act), debit cards may allow a chargeback claim; never pay by direct bank transfer.
National Cyber Security Centre (UK government). Page dated: guidance of 17 January 2019, as dated on the NCSC’s own “Online shopping fraud” page. Opened on .
This is information, not advice, and it is not a verdict on any shop. Guidance changes: each source shows the date it carries and the day we opened it. If you have lost money, go to the where to report and what to do if you paid pages.