Watch Out for Bourbon Whiskey Scam Websites

1
spot scam websites

Whiskey scam websites

We’re always on the lookout for hidden gems hiding on a shelf in some random corner of the world. However, the web has made hunting for rare and allocated bourbon and whiskey much easier, and if you’ve spent any time shopping for spirits online, you’ve likely come across some websites offering bottles at prices that seem too good to be true. And as the old saying goes, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Beware of the seedy underworld of scam websites set up with the goal of stealing your credit card information and personal information through fake bourbon and whiskey listings.

Liquor for Less than MSRP?!?

The way these scammers work is simple – they advertise the most hyped and sought-after bourbon releases at insanely low prices to lure in unsuspecting buyers. Look at the ads show above the screenshot here. Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year for less than $100? That’s even less than the manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) – which is $299 by the way. Those “too good to be true” prices should be an immediate red flag that something is wrong.

Once they’ve tempted potential victims with these fake listings for rare bottles selling at a fraction of their actual retail or secondary values, the scam site tries to collect payment information to complete the “purchase.” Of course, no bottles ever ship because the entire operation is a scam intended to steal your payment card and other personal information, instead of selling the real thing.

It’s an unfortunate reality that as demand and prices continue to skyrocket for limited bourbon releases, so too do the efforts of scammers to take advantage of inexperienced and less knowledgeable drinkers. Take a look at the too-good-to-be-true listing here with ads for Pappy van Winkle 23 for less than $100:

A few obvious red flags:

  • You will never find Pappy 23 for under $100, period. At over 70% off MSRP, this price is laughably low for such a rare and valuable bottle.
  • When you pull up the product description, it is usually very sparse or has something generic.
  • There are no reviews or ratings visible from past buyers.
  • The web design and URL look like a generic e-commerce shop
  • In some cases, the URL has nothing to do with selling spirits
    • Do not buy from these sites:
      • qhairsalon.com
      • steprv.com
      • bizulaw.com
      • altakorea.com
      • dlxcpa.com
      • pamirn.com
      • jipoll.com
      • thesuretymarketplace.com
  • The only way to contact them is a form on the website, they don’t have a phone number or physical location listed (and if they do, and you Google it, it’s fake)

Many of these scam websites will spend a lot of many advertising these deals, so you might see ads on search engines or scattered in your social media feed. The amount they spend on ads gives you an idea of how lucrative the scam is. If you encounter deals like this, selling wildly underpriced rare bourbon, it’s a safe bet that it’s a scam and you should avoid engaging with the site at all costs. If those listed prices really were legitimate, the bottles would be quickly bought up by resellers looking to flip them at market rates.

How These Low-Price Liquor Scams Work

Pappy van winkle scam

How exactly do these scam operations work? The scammers start by setting up a fake website, usually using shopping website templates. They make it look like a real wine or spirits website and use stock images and generic text they’ve cut and pasted or used AI to produce to make the storefront look relatively legitimate at first glance. They’ll also usually steal the photos of bottles and product descriptions from legitimate online stores to use for their fake website.

The key to these scam websites is loading the site with listings for all the most coveted bourbons. They’ll use Google Trends and other search tools to find out what’s popular, being sure to include things like Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC), Blanton’s, Rare Eagle, Four Roses Limited Editions, etc. They’ll price these bottles at a small fraction of the MSRP, and more sophisticated scammers will take a look at what legitimate online shops are selling it for and list it for for a fraction of the secondary market price. This is meant to grab the attention of frenzied bourbon hunters who have been eternally striking out on these rare releases. Unfortunately, it also often grabs the attention of inexperienced buyers search for a gift for someone who loves these spirits.

These scams sites have been so effective and there are now so many of them, that many of them now pay to advertise these deals. With social media tools, they can easily target advertising to people searching the category or are part of groups that talk about these drinks. With the bait set, they just wait for someone to bite on one of those too-good-to-be-true product listings and try to complete the purchase.

First, to complete the purchase, they might ask you to set up an account with a username and password. The scammers know that most people use the same username and password on many different websites. So they’ll take your username and password and attempt to use it on other websites – trying to login to your bank account or even your Dunkin Donuts Perks account. Getting a username and password is only the beginning.

Next, they’ll ask for personal information, including your name, address, phone number, and maybe even your birthdate (to verify that you’re 21 years of age of course). This personal information helps them if they try to contact your bank or other places where you have accounts.

Then they’ll ask for your credit card details or other payment information. Once this is complete, they’ll charge you for the amount expected and the scammers have achieved their mission – first getting you to pay for nothing, and second, handing over your information so they can use it for other fraudulent purchases.

Finally, the scammers will do everything they can to stall you for as long as possible. You’ll get a confirmation of your purchase that tells you it’ll be delivered some time in the future. They may even share tracking numbers to let you track your purchase. The goal is to make you think the product is on its way, giving them time to use the information provided to commit even more fraud, or sell your information on the black market to someone to do the same.

At best, you (or the credit card company) lose the amount of money from the fake purchase. At worst, your personal information and credit card details are being sold and used for further illegal activities. Either way, the scammers have stolen the money and information they were after. After many complaints, the site may get shut down, but it’s usually only a manner of days or weeks before they replace it with a new website and start the process up again under a different name.

Don’t Get Duped – How To Spot These Scams

spot scam websitesHow can you avoid falling victim to these fake bourbon sale scams? The old adage still applies – “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” See it as a red flag and scrutinize any site promising to see you limited releases at bargain basement prices compared to the MSRP or secondary values.

Beyond just the listing price, there are some other telltale signs of potential foul play to watch for on sites like these:

  • Minimal product details or generic descriptions for the rare bottles
  • There are no customer reviews, ratings, or feedback visible
  • The only way to contact the company is a web form
  • Glaring typos, grammar issues, or other unprofessional website elements
  • The domain name is weird or the was only recently registered
  • There’s no physical business address listed for the company, or when you Google the address, it’s a random home or business

Any combination of these sketchy signs should put you on high alert that you may be dealing with a scam operation rather than a legitimate business. Responsible online bourbon retailers should have an established track record, transparent pricing and policies, legal policies about buying and shipping alcohol, an active social media presence, and customer testimonials from past sales.

Respecting the Secondary Market

It’s understandable to be tempted by what seem like can’t-miss deals, especially on hard-to-find bottles you’ve been chasing. But coveted, collectible, limited edition bourbons have soaring real-world values that reputable resellers respect. If a listing is obviously different and stands out among those other market values, it should be an immediate red flag of a potential scam.

The bottom line is that ultra-premium, limited edition bourbon, whiskey, scotch, and other spirits simply aren’t available at basement bargain prices. Any site selling products like any Van Winkle bourbon, Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC), or similar spirits for less than a fraction of their real retail or secondary value is almost certainly too good to be true – and likely an attempt to defraud you rather than sell you legitimate bottles.

Not only should you keep your guard up and not let your desire for a great deal blind you from obvious scam signals, but it’s also important to warn family and friends who might come across these sites when trying to buy a thoughtful gift for you. It’s an unfortunate reality that wherever there’s a hot commodity, unscrupulous scammers will try to take advantage of consumers. Protecting yourself, your friends and family, and your personal and financial information is far more important than scoring a “deal” that will only leave you thirsty.

1 thought on “Watch Out for Bourbon Whiskey Scam Websites

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *