New warning for online shoppers: Watch out for fake 'discreet shipping' fees

The holiday shopping season is packed with warnings in 2023 about a flurry of phony websites that impersonate big name brands to scam consumers.

Now, we're being warned that some phony e-commerce websites are even going so far as to hit shoppers with a hidden fee for “discreet shipping," according to a late November alert from the Better Business Bureau.

You'll pay an extra shipping fee for something that probably isn't going to arrive anyway.

You might spot this so-called new fee late in the order process − or even through an email after you've ordered the item and received a tracking number. The fee supposedly covers special packaging or even some sort of stamps, as scammers try to gouge more money from unsuspecting and, yes, possibly rushed Cyber Week holiday shoppers.

Look-a-like websites for big brands

First, we can't warn consumers enough this season that we're seeing a proliferation of fake websites. I heard from one reader who ran into fake websites that promised 90% off. She never received anything she ordered.

Another sign of a scam: Weird emails from customer service. This consumer's email stated: "Sorry to keep you waiting. The logistics company says the package has been delivered to your address. We shipped the wrong item. There should be a pair of 3D polarized sunglasses in your package, please find this package. We have lost a lot of money and we need you to find this package and we will send you the correct package."

Nancy Breedlove, a former Detroiter who now lives in Cape Coral, Florida, said she spent about $56 on what she thought were discounted items online from Lululemon. She disputed the purchase with PayPal when she didn't get the items and said she was able to work with PayPal to get a refund.

Breedlove, 70, is still dealing with issues after spending less than $20 to place an order on what appears to be a fake Coldwater Creek website. Again, she never got anything. She plans to dispute the charge with her credit card company.

The Coldwater Creek site wanted her to pay a fee to track the package.

"I did not trust them," she told the Detroit Free Press. "And I’m not going to pay to track an item."

She remembers the online ad talking about Coldwater Creek closing, which she thought sounded true. Coldwater Creek closed its stores in 2014 to switch to an online-only strategy. A few years later, it announced plans to open a few stores. This year, the competing Soft Surroundings women's clothing and accessories brand filed for bankruptcy and Coldwater Creek announced plans to buy remaining assets and sell the Soft Surroundings brand online and via catalogs. All the retail reshuffling can get confusing.