Home Depot Scams (7 Scams to Watch Out for)
Home Depot is a multinational company and is currently the fifth largest retailer in the world, making it a prime target for scammers and fraudsters.
Due to its thriving e-commerce activity, the Home Depot name and brand have been and will continue to be used in multiple scams around the world. So, here are eight Home Depot scams to watch out for so you don’t get caught up in fraudulent activity!
Home Depot Scams in 2022
1. Home Depot MoonElegant.com scam
In December 2021, TrendMicro.com reported the emergence of a new website that looks and feels like Home Depot.
Problem: Its URL is moonlegant.com, which is a total scam.
There are many signs, including selling items at super low prices (too good to be true) and the fact that the site is only registered in September 2021.
Likewise, the site has no active customer support system and no additional business addresses.
Nonetheless, the customer actually placed the order on MoonElegant.com and reported that they did not receive a confirmation email or any tracking information.
Overall, the site is a complete scam designed to get your credit card information and your money without giving you anything in return.
2. The Home Depot “We Have Winners” Scam
Don’t fall prey to Home Depot’s trick-or-treating attempts, such as “We have winners” text.
The scammers started using the Home Depot name in an apparent attempt to lure people into a false sense of security.
Don’t click on the link below; at worst, it will install malware on your device, and at best, it will reroute you to websites seeking to obtain your sensitive financial information.
And, while it says “send 0 to STOP”, don’t obey; it’s just a trick to see if there’s a real person on the other end of the phone.
If you send 0, the message doesn’t stop, but it can get worse.
3. Home Depot $100 Giveaway Scam
Like the “We have a winner” text, the $100 credit text is designed to get you to click on a link so scammers can get your information.
If you look at the text here, the first thing you show that something is incorrect is the spelling of Home Depot, which is Home-Depot.
Also, the word “customer” is misspelled.
While Home Depot does send text messages, you usually have to sign up for them, such as SMS notifications that your online order is ready.
Also, Home Depot — and many other big companies — simply don’t give away $100 in credits for no reason.
4. Home Depot Halloween Email Phishing Scam
Americans, Britons and South Koreans will receive an email purporting to be from Home Depot, which promises an “exclusive reward” in exchange for a 30-second survey.
The first clue was the email address from which the mail was sent, not Home Depot.
The second is to use Comic Sans as a font for email body headers, which no self-respecting company would do.
If you click the link, it will take you to a website where you can fill out a form and then fill in your credit card information to “pay nominal shipping for your prize”.
As BitDefender.com says, you should never click on a link in an email when you don’t know the sender.
Also, if you want to see if the prize is legitimate, visit the real website HomeDepot.com for information.
5. Home Depot Facebook Market Scam
While searching for garden furniture on Facebook Marketplace, two people came across an ad that claimed to be Home Depot.
This was due to the dramatic reduction in patio furniture, and the pair jumped up to place an order, but then received a PayPal receipt in another language.
To make matters worse, their patio set never showed up and emails went unanswered.
These two were duped by fake Facebook Marketplace ads, and they’re not alone.
So if you’re looking at Facebook Marketplace and see an ad for Home Depot, consider one thing before you click the link – is the price too good to be true?
If you end up clicking on the ad and visiting the website, check the URL. If it wasn’t HomeDepot.com, it wasn’t a company or a legitimate website.
Check to see if you notice any spelling or grammar mistakes that don’t appear on a real business’s website.
Finally, use a credit card or PayPal to make your purchases, as these are the easiest payment methods to prove you’ve been scammed and receive a refund.
6. Home Depot $100 Bill Scam
Now, this scam is not being carried out against Home Depot customers on behalf of thieves; rather, it is being carried out against Home Depot by an employee.
The man in Tempe, Arizona, apparently defrauded Home Depot of hundreds of thousands of dollars by exchanging fake $100 bills for real ones and pocketing them.
He escaped for four years, even depositing fake money in Wells Fargo.
7. Home Depot Google Search Results Scams
When you type the word “Home Depot” into the Google search bar, you want HomeDepot.com as the first result, right?
Well, for a while, the first result was an ad that appeared to be for the HomeDepot.com website, but actually opened a portal to a tech support scam.
If you like the ad, you’ll be redirected multiple times before landing on a website that repeatedly opens a print dialog, making closing the page nearly impossible.
However, as soon as you close it, a new window pops up encouraging you to call tech support because your computer is “damaged”.
Once you call that number, a “tech support operator” (actually a scammer) will direct you to let them control your computer remotely.
After that, they install a Lock My PC program and try to sell you a program to unlock it.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on Home Depot interview questions, Home Depot shoplifting policy, and Amazon vs Home Depot.
in conclusion
Home Depot has been the subject of many scams over the years, and they continue to this day due to the success of the burglars.
Therefore, please be aware of any emails or texts claiming to be from The Home Depot, do not click on the link, but go directly to HomeDepot.com.
