Bargain hunters are being warned to watch out for a string of fake Wilko websites pretending to sell heavily discounted goods following the company’s collapse.
Wilko has stopped all online sales, home deliveries and click and collect services after the chain went into administration on August 10 and deals can only be purchased in-store.
But several websites have popped up, appearing to offer items at discounted prices even up to 90 per cent, duping online shoppers and leaving them out of pocket.
Some fake advertisements seen by the Standard show suitcases priced at £7.99 and gardening equipment at £8.99.
One person wrote on Facebook: “I’ve had to cancel my bank card today due to this. Looks authentic but it’s not. They took two lots of money and never produced an order or confirmation email.”
Another victim wrote: “I got suckered in and now have to try and recover money paid which wasn’t a lot, but still annoying that I fell for it.”
A third person posted to Facebook: “Do not try to buy anything from an online Wilko advert as it is a scam. I nearly did and thought twice and rang Wilko. They told me the ad was not put in by them.”
Administrators for Wilko have warned consumers of the scams.
“We have been made aware of a number of fake wilko websites which are offering wilko products at heavily discounted prices,” PwC told the Standard.
“These websites are not genuine and have been set up to scam users, the only legitimate wilko website is www.wilko.com.
“We would like to remind our customers that all Wilko sales are now in-store and you are unable to purchase items online.”
MoneySavingExpert.com advised shoppers: “Telltale signs to watch out for include slightly different URLs to Wilko.com and websites that are littered with incorrect spelling and grammatical errors.
“Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
The retailer tumbled into administration last week, putting the future of its 400 shops and 12,500 workers at risk.
Administrators from PwC swiftly sought offers from potentially interested firms which could save jobs and stores. However, multiple Wilko shops have now closed for good.
Wilko has struggled in the economic climate and last year borrowed £40 million to stay afloat, changed its leadership team and sold a distribution centre.
It also struggled to pay suppliers and this led to shoppers noticing gaps appearing on its shelves.
