A new online shopping scam is sweeping social media, with over 5,000 victims reporting losses totaling upwards of $1.3 million dollars over the last seven months. The scheme revolves around Wreme.com – a relatively unknown ecommerce store claiming to sell trendy smartphone cases for unusually low prices.
Behind the seemingly innocent business, however, lays an intricate fraud operation that investigators believe originates overseas. Wreme appears to conduct little to no legitimate retail activities, instead utilizing fake advertisements and fictitious product listings to lure customers into providing their payment details. The company then unlawfully charges exorbitant fees to credit cards without ever fulfilling orders.
The Slick Social Media Scam That Fooled Thousands
Wreme first emerged on Facebook and Instagram in July 2023, quickly amassing through widespread sponsored ads. The posts spotlighted the store’s signature “Puffer Case” – a slim phone case with a unique bubbled, pillow-like design. Comments filled with delighted customers showing off cases in various colors, matched by captions inviting viewers to grab their own “Puff” for just $39.99.
Clicking the shop now button in ads redirected to it’s cleanly designed online store, listing not only phone cases but also shoes, hats, and other wares for similarly reasonable costs. Between the floods of supposed five-star reviews and too-good-to-pass-up prices, thousands jumped at the chance to score coveted items on the cheap.
Some important red flags of wreme.com as per our investigation:
- No social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok) profile presence
- Recently created website (within last 6 months)
- Suspicious unreachable email address and free gmail id given
- Selling questionable/counterfeit products
- No physical address or valid contact info
- Misleading advertisements on social platforms
- Users not receiving ordered products
Except the glowing praises plastered across the site were falsified. As were the company’s claims of sustainable manufacturing, 100% satisfaction guarantees, and speedy shipping. Victims soon realized the horrible reality after placing orders – not only would the products never arrive, but Wreme would start illegally charging their credit cards for subscriptions they never consented to.
Floods of Complaints Expose The Truth of Wreme.com
Initial complaints emerged as early as August 2023 per research by financial fraud experts. But the lack of public awareness around the sham company allowed it to continue duping customers through the Christmas and new year sale.
It wasn’t until TrustPilot reviews and Reddit threads exposing the scam began circulating in November 2023 that the extent of Wreme’s deceit emerged. Enraged customers shared experiences of never receiving purchases after months of waiting and repeated lies from customer service around delayed shipping.
Even more disturbing were the hidden credit charges of $40 or more that mysteriously appeared without authorization days after placing an order. For victims urgently working to cancel cards before hundreds disappeared from their accounts, It’s support email and social media channels perplexingly went silent.
Analysis: A Textbook Online Shopping Scam Years In the Making
While cleverly orchestrated through social media hype and legitimate-looking web storefronts, fraud experts break down how the Wreme fraud utilized nearly every trick in fraudsters’ playbooks:
- Invented Hype Around Valueless Products: Driving demand for iPhone cases enabled the scam to go viral, even though the company likely never owned any inventory. Victims fixated on scoring deals became less likely to question legitimacy.
- Web Infrastructure Dressed for Success: Investing in polished site design, flow, and descriptions established surface-level credence. Fictitious policies and assurances distracted from contradictory indicators something was amiss.
- Synthetic Reviews: Effusive App Store ratings and deceptive TrustPilot testimonials falsely earned consumer trust. Investigators found these disconnected from any real customers.
- Snatched Credit Info and Stolen Funds: Defaulting to credit over debit cards enabled unlawfully charging astronomical hidden fees weeks later before victims noticed payments.
- Stonewalling Customer Service: Removing any trace of contact post-purchase ensured the company could not field demands for refunds or order updates. Shutting down communication accelerated credit destruction.
Stay Vigilant Against Online Shopping Scams
Unfortunately, the wily persuasion tactics seen in this scam enable many shady retailers to carry out fraud year after year. Consumers must stay vigilant to help put these operations out of business:
- Research unfamiliar sites for evidence of legitimate business operations and ownership. Cross-reference with BBB, fraud reporting databases.
- Beware unbelievable deals and prices dramatically lower than mainstream retailers. If it seems too good to be true, it always is.
- Never store payment information in online accounts, especially those lacking security features like MFA. Checking out as guest is safer.
- Use credit over debit cards for purchases to enable fraud protections, chargebacks if scammed. Avoid Zelle, Venmo, wire transfers.
- Monitor financial statements routinely for unauthorized charges. Report quickly to bank and card companies before losses compound.
Stay tuned for more updates on consumer protection resources available for Wreme puffer case scam victims and other breaking ecommerce fraud news.
