The FTC's warning about that 50%-off designer bag in your feed

That ad for a designer bag at half price, dropped into your feed between a friend's photos and a news clip - the FTC wants you to slow down before you tap it. In a consumer alert on August 10, the agency reminded shoppers that social media platforms don't reliably vet the ads or the advertisers behind them, which is exactly why scammers gravitate to them.

The numbers aren't small. People reported losing more than $95 million in 2025 to scams that began with a social media ad, and since most fraud never gets reported, the real figure is higher. The playbook is simple: a polished ad links to a store that looks real, you pay, and the item never arrives - or your card details end up somewhere they shouldn't. Some of these fake shops also push a "tracking" app or a coupon download that turns out to be unwanted software.

Before buying from an ad you didn't go looking for, do one quick check: search the company's name along with the words "scam," "complaint" or "review." If nothing but the ad itself turns up, or the reviews are grim, walk away. A price far below everyone else is the bait, not a bargain - and paying by card, rather than a bank transfer or gift card, at least gives you a way to dispute the charge later.

If a fake-deal site talked you into installing anything, Tendvane's Safety check flags software that has slipped onto your PC uninvited, so one bad click doesn't quietly turn into a lingering problem.