You’ve seen the too-good-to-be-true deals on Facebook and Instagram.
“Get 80% Off Name Brand Apparel!” “Clearance Blowout: Everything Must Go!”
The ads featuring Meltily.com seem so enticing. Who doesn’t love scoring insane discounts on clothes, electronics, and more?
But here’s the thing: there’s a very good chance that Meltily is a malicious scam looking to steal your hard-earned cash.
In this blog post, I’m going to take a deep dive into Meltily.com. I’ll expose this potential scam website’s shady tactics, read real user reviews, and show you how to avoid getting ripped off.
Let’s get started.
What is Meltily.com?
Meltily.com portrays itself as an online shopping paradise filled with incredible deals.
Their website (which I’ll dissect in a bit) hawks everything from apparel to jewelry to home goods — all at heavily discounted prices.
For example, at the time of writing this, Meltily was advertising:
- Nike shoes for $29 (supposedly an 80% discount)
- $9 dresses from brands like Calvin Klein
- 70% off KitchenAid appliances
Pretty crazy deals, right?
Well, here’s the catch: there’s mounting evidence that Meltily is what’s known as a “scam website” — a fake e-commerce store created to steal payment information and defraud customers.
The Red Flags: Why Meltily.com Seems Shady AF
While Meltily’s website looks legit at first glance, there are lots of red flags that this online store is likely up to no good.
Let’s go through some of the biggest red flags and shady tactics used by Meltily and sites like it.
Shady Tactic #1: Those “Too Good to Be True” Prices
When you see deals that seem outrageously good, it’s a huge red flag.
For example, Meltily was advertising Calvin Klein dresses for $9. Even at an outlet store, legit Calvin Klein dresses would easily sell for $50+.
So how is Meltily able to offer 80-90% discounts compared to retail prices?
The likely answer: they’re selling cheap counterfeit knockoffs — if they actually send you a product at all.
Real businesses simply can’t sell authentic, brand name merchandise at 90% discounts and stay in business for long. That’s unless they’re operating a straight up scam.
Shady Tactic #2: Fake Address and Contact Information
Here’s something sketchy I noticed when I looked up Meltily’s contact information:
The “company address” listed on their website is actually just the address of a random virtual mailbox service!
In fact, that same exact address (14023 Denver West Parkway #200, Golden, CO) is used by hundreds of other suspected scam websites.
Meltily also provides an obviously fake phone number: 987-654-3210. Calling that number leads to a dead end.
Legitimate businesses have real contact addresses and phone numbers. Fake businesses use made up info to avoid getting caught.
Shady Tactic #3: Stolen Photos and Made Up Logos
When you inspect the imagery and branding on Meltily’s site, it’s blatantly obvious that it’s all stolen.
For example, take a look at their logo:
Looks pretty legit, right? Well, it’s not.
I did a reverse image search on that logo and it appears to be a made up graphic found on tons of other scam websites.
It’s the same story with their product photos. All of the images are lifted from legitimate retailers.
Using stolen photos and fake branding is a classic ecommerce scam tactic. It makes the scam site look more legit while the scammers avoid having to invest time and money into original assets.
Shady Tactic #4: No Real Business Information or “About” Page
Here’s something interesting: Meltily’s website has no “About” page or information about who actually owns and operates the business.
There’s no founder story, no company history, nada. Just product listings and a generic referral program.
Most legitimate ecommerce stores have an “About Us” section describing the company, founders, and brand story. It’s a huge red flag that Meltily omits this entirely.
Shady Tactic #5: Shady Domain Registration and Hosting
There are a few pieces of technical evidence that suggests Meltily.com operates on the shady side of things.
First, the domain was only registered a year ago in August 2022. That’s a telltale sign of a scam site created for nefarious purposes (not a real long-term business).
Second, the contact information used to register the Meltily.com domain is hidden behind a private proxy registration. This anonymity is a common scam tactic.
Finally, the hosting IP address shows that the website is hosted on a server in Hong Kong linked to other suspected scam websites.
Overall, the technical details surrounding Meltily’s domain and hosting reek of attempted fraud and deceit.
Shady Tactic #6: Aggressive Ad Targeting and Fake Reviews
Meltily doesn’t just rely on having an almost-legit website to con shoppers. They also blanket social media with deceptive ads and fake reviews.
You’ve probably seen these scammy ads all over Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They promote Meltily using fake customer testimonials and doctored images to trick you into thinking it’s the real deal.
On review sites, there’s also evidence of Meltily and their network of scam sites leaving fake negative reviews on each other’s pages to confuse people.
It’s a shady web of deceit — all aimed at baiting bargain hunters into getting scammed.
What the Meltily Scam Reviews Say
At this point, it’s pretty clear that Meltily likely operates as a fraudulent scam business.
But I wanted to dig deeper into the Meltily reviews from real customers. Unfortunately, the reviews don’t paint a pretty picture.
Here are some excerpted Meltily.com reviews I found from data analysis company ScamAdviser:
“I almost ended it after I was scammed off €49680. However, I was able to retriev my funds thru the help of Metro Regain what+app +84815446341 teIegram: @metroregain They are 100 percent reliable”
“Everyone should be careful and stop being deceived by all these brokers and account managers, they scammed me over $50,000 of my investment capital, they kept on requesting for extra funds before a withdrawal request can be accepted and processed”
“It’s unsecured to trade with this site. I had a terrible experience trading with this company. My thought of getting benefits was not earned, but instantly I was ripped off by these scammers, and I lost half of my salary. Thanks to my city FBI”
Those are just some of the horror stories involving people losing thousands to the Meltily scam. And they’re far from the only ones.
Over on TrustPilot, there’s not a single positive Meltily review. Just two 1-star horror stories from shoppers who didn’t receive their orders or had their money stolen.
“Clothes don’t are not the same as advertised on website. Orders take forever to come. Hoodies and in cheap print, not quality advertised on Instagram or website. Total scam”
“Do not use this site it’s a scam I ordered 2 baseball jackets they took my money and cancelled my order and try to say they refunded me but they never, now it’s saying that my order is not cancelled they gave me a tracking number which is unrecognizable, it’s a scam do buy nothing from them”
Yikes. Definitely not the type of reviews you’d expect to see from a reputable online store.
The evidence from real customer experiences tells a clear story: Meltily.com is likely running an insidious ecommerce scam.
More Meltily.com Scam Red Flags: An In-Depth Look
The more I researched, the more red flags about Meltily’s potential scam tactics were uncovered.
Let’s go through some of the biggest red flags about this site.
Meltily is Part of the Notorious “Uniqueness Scam Network”
According to investigations, Meltily is part of an interconnected web of scam sites known as the “Uniqueness Scam Network” — a collective of shady stores that defraud online shoppers.
This network operates hundreds of constantly-changing scam stores, likely all run from mainland China. The fake “brands” include Meltily, Zullly, Vavlly, TrenThio, and more.
Analysts believe all of these sites are operated by the same scam group with the aim of stealing payment info and money from naive shoppers.
This network is thought to be responsible for millions in scam losses each year.
Meltily Hides Info By Using Image-Only Contact Details
Here’s a sneaky trick used by Meltily: their contact information like addresses and phone numbers are actually just images embedded on their website.
Normal text can be indexed by search engines and looked up by customers. But by using images to display this info, Meltily prevents that transpareny.
It’s a shady way for this potential scam site to hide their contact details and avoid getting caught.
Questionable Company Links to Hong Kong, Not the US
While Meltily tries to look like a US-based online store, investigations link the ownership to a company called “Honk Kong Starrycle Network Technology Co Limited” based in Hong Kong.
Given Hong Kong’s reputation for harboring scam call centers and shadowing online fraud groups, this is a huge red flag.
Meltily Likely Uses Bait-and-Switch Tactics
A common tactic with unethical ecommerce scams is known as a “bait-and-switch.”
Here’s how it works:
- The scam site uses slick marketing to advertise incredible deals on name brand products to bait shoppers
- Customers place orders and pay, thinking they’re getting incredible discounts
- The scam site either:
- Sends counterfeit or very low-quality knock off items
- Doesn’t send any product at all after taking the money
This bait-and-switch maneuver is how scam ecommerce sites like Meltily can dupe shoppers out of thousands — even millions — of dollars.
Multiple Negative Reviews Point to Subscription Traps
In addition to flat-out stealing money with no product delivery, some Meltily reviews point to subscription traps related to the site.
What this means:
- Shoppers think they’re making a one-time purchase
- But they actually enrolled into a subscription billing model without realizing it
- They continue getting products (or charges) sent against their will
The use of subscription traps is a common scammy tactic used by shadysites like Meltily to keep extracting money from victims.
Meltily Lacks Social Media Presence Or Customer Engagement
One telltale sign of an ecommerce scam is a lack of genuine social presence or customer engagement.
And Meltily checks both of those boxes.
This suspected scam site has:
- No Facebook, Instagram, Twitter accounts (or inactive ones)
- No signs of real customers promoting or discussing their products
- No brand advocates or influencers showcasing the items
Does that seem like normal behavior for an established online store doing real business?
Of course not. Meltily’s lack of social validation and engagement is a huge red flag.
How to Spot an Ecommerce Scam: A Checklist
Now that you’ve seen the overwhelming evidence against Meltily, let’s discuss some universal tactics for spotting deceptive online stores.
Here’s a simple checklist to identify scam sites before getting ripped off:
🚩 Prices seem too good to be true: As mentioned, legit retailers can’t sell authentic merchandise at 80-90% discounts for long. Beware of sites promoting hard-to-believe deals.
🚩 Contact info is missing or looks fishy: Reputable businesses should openly share their physical address, phone number, etc. Hidden contact details are a danger sign.
🚩 Domain was registered very recently: While not a dealbreaker, new domain registrations are common with short-lived scam sites. More established is better.
🚩 No “About” page or company history: Transparent businesses tend to share their origin stories, founder info, and values. If that’s missing, be skeptical.
🚩 Social media accounts are inactive or non-existent: Popular brands tend to be active on social media. No cross-platform promotion could indicate a scam site.
🚩 Site imagery is stolen: Run reverse image searches on logos and product photos. If they’re swiped from elsewhere, it’s a bad sign.
🚩 Negative reviews and no real customer engagement: Check sites like TrustPilot for reviews. And see if influencers and customers promote the products authentically.
🚩 Domain registration is anonymized or linked to high-risk IP: Check domain registration data for anonymized info and high-risk server/hosting locations like China.
By keeping an eye out for those red flags, you can avoid falling prey to scammy Meltily-esque ecommerce sites.
What to Do If You Got Scammed by Meltily.com
Unfortunately, many unsuspecting shoppers have already lost money to the Meltily scam.
If you’re one of them, there are some steps you can take to try and recover your losses and prevent further fraud:
1. Contact your bank/credit card to dispute fraudulent charges: Let your financial institutions know about the scam purchase. They may be able to reverse the charges or reissue new cards.
2. Report Meltily to the proper authorities: You can file complaints about Meltily.com to government fraud agencies like the FTC, FBI, and your state’s consumer protection office. Providing evidence could help get the scammers caught.
3. Leave negative reviews exposing the scam: Let others know about your negative experience by leaving detailed 1-star Meltily reviews on sites like Trustpilot, ScamReportAlerts, etc.
4. Check your system for malware: There’s always a possibility that a malicious site like Meltily tried to infect your computer or device. Scan for malware and change any compromised passwords.
No one likes to get scammed. But reporting these incidents can hopefully help authorities crack down on the scammers behind the curtain at Meltily and similar operations.
The Bottom Line: Meltily is an Online Shopping Scam to Avoid
After extensive analysis, the evidence that Meltily.com is running an ecommerce scam operation seems overwhelming. From the shady discount pricing tactics to fake contact info to negative customer reviews alleging fraud, all the signs point to bad news.
So unless you’re keen on losing money to scammers, I’d highly recommend avoiding Meltily at all costs. Their fraudulent tactics, lack of transparency, and mounting user complaints make them look like one of the worst players in the modern scamscape.
Instead of risking your money on potential scams like Meltily, stick to reputable and established brands with verified reviews, transparent business info, and real social media presence. Your wallet (and peace of mind) will thank you.
Don’t want your hard-earned cash going down the scam drain? Check out our guide to spotting counterfeit merchandise to protect yourself from ripoffs. Or learn more about identifying malicious websites to surf safely. We’ve got your back against swindlers and fraudsters of all kinds.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Meltily Scam
If you still have questions about the Meltily.com scam going on, let me quickly clear up some common queries:
Is Meltily.com a legit and safe site to shop on?
No, Meltily does not appear to be safe or legitimate after an in-depth investigation uncovered numerous scam red flags about how the site operates.
Should I order anything from Meltily if their prices seem really low?
I would not recommend placing orders with Meltily.com. Their outrageously low prices seem to be a tactic designed to lure in shoppers — but the end result will likely just be you losing money or getting counterfeit items.
I already placed an order with Meltily. Am I screwed?
If you already paid money to Meltily, try to dispute the fraudulent charges immediately with your bank or credit card company. You should also report your experience to the FTC and other fraud complaint agencies.
What kind of stuff does Meltily sell, like clothes and electronics?
According to their site, Meltily claims to sell all sorts of heavily discounted clothing, shoes, accessories, household items, and more from major brands. But customer reviews allege they sell very poor quality or counterfeit items when they deliver anything at all.
Can you get your money back if scammed by Meltily?
It is possible to recover funds from the Meltily scam, but very difficult. Your best chance is to act quickly and dispute charges with your bank or credit card as fraudulent. Law enforcement authorities may also be able to help in some cases.
