In what is shaping up to be the scam of the season, con artists on Facebook are duping users with the false promise of selling unclaimed luggage from major airports like Chicago O'Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth for just under ten bucks.
The deal seems too good to be true and, according to airport officials, it certainly is. O'Hare International Airport took to its official Facebook page to debunk the scam, stating, "Fact check: No, we do not sell unclaimed bags." Similarly, ConsumerAffairs confirmed the singular legitimacy of the Unclaimed Baggage store in Alabama, the only vendor known to have purchasing agreements with airlines to sell unclaimed luggage.
These social media shysters craft detailed illusions, replete with Photoshopped images of lost baggage and phony endorsements from supposedly satisfied customers claiming their unbelievable finds. They even impersonated airport affiliates to give a veneer of authenticity to their online charade. Yet, as Block Club Chicago reports, clear warning signs emerge upon closer inspection, such as mismatched luggage tags and rampant grammatical errors.
What’s more, the online pages purportedly offering these too-good-to-be-true deals were widely reported to have been recently created end of last December, per sources including ConsumerAffairs. In their attempt to replicate legitimate business, the scam pages brandished a concocted 4.8-star rating with over 1,162 reviews, a feat impossible for a page spawned merely days prior.
The scam's net has been cast wide, as similar schemes have been reported across various nations including Ireland, Switzerland, and Poland.
