Many fans see ads on social media promising them Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskeys at low prices, but are disappointed when nothing arrives, or the bottles are empty and not legitimate. Although various brands from Buffalo Trace’s portfolio have been targeted, its Blanton’s and Double Eagle Very Rare Bourbons are being attacked particularly hard by these scam artists.
“We’ve had fans from across the U.S. contact us to tell us they’ve been duped. We’ve taken legal action to have the sites shut down and also sent notices to the social media companies asking them to take action, but unfortunately the situation persists,” said Mary Tortorice, general counsel, Sazerac Co.
“In all but six states plus the District of Columbia, it is illegal to ship alcohol directly to consumers,” continued Tortorice. “One of the tip offs is if the website will process your order with shipment to your state, if you are located in one of the 44 states where shipping alcohol directly to your home is illegal.
“Another red flag is if the website is located in another country, as the majority of the scams we have seen have been located overseas.” Tortorice also warns of prices that seem too low, the old adage of “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” applies here. The sale of counterfeit alcohol, which claims the lives of thousands of people a year, has long been a global problem and is now becoming a problem in the United States as the market deregulates the sale of alcoholic beverages.