There is a message spreading on social media encouraging people to join the Holiday Wine Exchange, but an expert with the Better Business Bureau says stay away.
As part of the “exchange,” the victim is directed to purchase a bottle of wine for $15 or more and send it to a secret wine lover.
In exchange, they are supposed to get six to 36 bottles of wine from others in the exchange.
“Definitely sounds like one of those too-good-to-be-true things that get passed around a lot,” BBB of Central Florida spokeswoman Erika Urdaneta said.
The scammers take the money from unsuspecting victims, but also collect personal information like names and addresses.
In 2016, the BBB warned people about an online secret Santa gift exchange, which was supposed to work in a way similar to the wine exchange.
Orlando resident Chelsea Moreland knew some people who fell for the scam.
“From what I heard from other people, you and your neighbors would send a gift to one address and then they would send to another, and the gifts would go around,” Moreland said.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GZQ52Q6NVRHFJJPY5VZ2OCO47E.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/6UYULPPKLRDGNHEF5BPPPXVJPE.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3SUUUF6GS5A6PJGOC73LQAR2RE.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XPITDADJ5REQVFWULMAUE2NOXE.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BWAG42EMMNDIHKNOJAK5BB3GVU.jpg)