In the booming era of online shopping, a series of advertisements for “super sale”, “70% discount”, “warehouse clearance sale” appear densely on social networks. However, behind those unreasonably low prices, there is likely a trap that is cleverly set up to deceive consumers.
Many people have lost money because they believed in a bargain. And the trick is getting more and more sophisticated — even with the help of AI, deepfakes, and professionally made advertising images.
The Nature Behind the Cheap Trap
1️⃣ Taking advantage of cheap psychology
Fraudsters prey on the sale-hunting habits of consumers. They offer unusually low prices, making us believe we’ve found a “great deal.” But when we receive the goods… they’re either of poor quality, or completely different from the description.
2️⃣ Leverage technology to build trust
Nowadays, scammers can use AI to create images and promotional videos that look like genuine products. They also create sales pages with fake reviews and fake comments, making buyers think they are real. Some cases are so sophisticated that users have difficulty distinguishing with the naked eye.
3️⃣ Use the "always out of stock" trick
Some scam shops use “emergency scenarios”:
- “Only 20 minutes left to book at this price!”
- “Limited quantity!”
- "Liquidation sale!"
FOMO (fear of missing out) makes many people rush to transfer money without checking carefully.
4️⃣ Do not check the seller
Many victims shared that they bought the goods because they saw they were cheap, and did not check:
- How long does it take to create a sales page?
- Is there clear contact information?
- The seller left the address, tax code, hotline
- Does it appear on the scam warning list?
With just a few simple checks, buyers can completely detect unusual signs. But most ignore them because “it looks too cheap”.
This vulnerability makes it easy for fraudsters to take advantage.
Common risks
From Anti-Fraud system data, the most common risks include:
In many cases, users don't just lose money once – they get called, texted with spam, or continue to be targeted for other forms of fraud.
Recommendations from Anti-Fraud
To limit risks, we recommend users apply the following principles:
✔ Buy from reputable platforms
✔ Check the seller carefully
- Page uptime
- Actual number of posts
- Address – hotline – tax code
- Comment content (if all are too positive and similar, be wary)
✔ Use secure payment methods
✔ Check the link with Anti-Phishing tool
- Before filling in personal information or making payment, users should quickly check the website via: https://ai.chongluadao.vn
- This tool will analyze the risk level and warn of any abnormalities.
✔ Maintain a “Zero Trust” mindset
Conclude
The “cheap” trick is not new, but it is becoming more and more sophisticated. Fraudsters can edit images, create fake reviews, and create fake pages in just a few minutes. Meanwhile, users only need to be careless once to lose money, lose data, or become a long-term target of scam groups.
Anti-Fraud always encourages users to stay alert, check information carefully before trading and use the free tools we provide to protect themselves.
A minute of vigilance can save you from major damage.
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