A too-good-to-be-true Lego sale on Famoufactory.com has turned out to be a huge scam, leaving customers empty-handed. This article explores how the Chinese ecommerce racket worked, if victims can get refunds, and how to avoid fake Lego deals in the future.
Famoufactory.com recently ran a promotion offering deep discounts on popular Lego sets like the Millennium Falcon, Hogwarts Castle, and Titanic models. Prices were slashed over 95% compared to Lego’s official website. Unsurprisingly, the unrealistic deals were a scam to steal money and information.
How Did Famoufactory.com Carry Out This Scam?
The fraudsters behind Famoufactory aggressively promoted the fake Lego sale through social media ads, spam emails, and fake reviews. Once lured to the site, customers were met with deep discounts on coveted sets. After entering payment and personal details, victims received nothing, inferior knock-offs, or completely wrong items.
Lego sets advertised at 90%+ off included:
- Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle 71043 ($18.95, real price $681.12)
- Millennium Falcon 75192 ($23.95, real price $1,281.54)
- Titanic 10294 ($24.95, real price $509.70)
This scam formula allowed Famou factory to pocket payments while never shipping products. The site also harvested users’ personal and financial data for identity theft or resale on dark web markets.
Now, after stealing a lot of user’s money they changed the design of the site and made it a designer artificial trees store. Their tactics remain the same – fake discounts up to 90% off, no legitimate contact info, and likely no intent to deliver the advertised products.
There is no legitimate contact page, and the site may download malware, so visitors should avoid it. For prior victims, it’s recommended to block/cancel used cards and be alert for phishing attempts using stolen information.
Can Victims Get Their Money Back?
Customers who paid with a credit card have the best chance of getting refunds through chargebacks disputing the transactions. Banks will likely reverse the charges once determining the seller was fraudulent.
Unfortunately, people paying via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency have little recourse. The key is acting swiftly to halt additional charges and have new cards issued. Monitoring accounts closely is crucial to catch misuse of stolen information.
Who Is Behind This Deceptive Website?
While completely anonymous on the site itself, a WHOIS domain lookup reveals Famoufactory.com was registered in October 2023 through a Chinese company. This aligns with research suggesting the site is part of a larger network of fake Chinese e-commerce scam rings.
Victims describe no way to contact the company or customer service on the site, clearly signaling its illegitimacy.
Are There Any Legitimate Lego Sales At Famou factory?
No. Famoufactory.com has no relationship with the official Lego company. All product images and descriptions were stolen from legitimate Lego retailers. The absurd discounts would lead to losses no real business could withstand.
Sadly, Famou factory never intended to fulfill orders. The entirely fake sales acted only as bait to lure victims and profit from theft and resale of their data.
How Can Shoppers Avoid These Fake Lego Deals?
Here is some important things you should always look before buying from a discounted lego toys:
- Stick to Lego’s official website and known major retailers when shopping.
- Beware of deals too good to be true, like 90%+ discounts.
- Research unfamiliar sites for scam reports and reviews before purchasing.
- Check site security, policies, contact info, and domain registration details.
- Avoid entering personal and payment data on questionable websites.
Have You Been Scammed by a Fake Lego Sale?
Share your experience in the comments if you fell victim to Famou factory’s scam Lego promotion or a similar sale on an unknown website. Your story can help prevent others from losing money to these deceptive practices.
Conclusion
The absurdly low prices and nonexistent customer service make it evident – Famoufactory’s Lego sale was 100% fake. Their only goal was stealing victims’ money and data through deception. Achieving refunds will be difficult but prompt action can limit the damage. Learn to scrutinize unfamiliar e-commerce sites to avoid the heartache and financial stress of shopping scams.
