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Exclusive Fed-up online shoppers are sharing their stories of being ripped off by sellers on sites such as Facebook and Instagram amid a rise in so-called "bait and switch" scams on social media.

Earlier this month, 9news.com.au reported on the case of Marie Armitage who bought an elaborate Christmas tree advertised on Facebook for $32, only to be sent a sticker in the mail.

Since the article was published, 9news.com.au has received a flood of emails from readers who have also fallen victim to similar scams – receiving often strange, unrelated items instead of what they actually purchased.

READ MORE: Buy one thing receive another – a Christmas warning

Sydney mum Daniela Coulstock couldn't resist snapping up a bargain when she saw an ad pop up on her Instagram feed for a quad bike.

The 4WD quad bike touted in the ad featured a 449cc fuel-injected engine and a lightweight aluminium chassis.

Keen to get a start on her Christmas shopping, Ms Coulstock bought the $150 bike for her kids.

"Everything was so cheap on that shop, so I also ended up buying a hanging outdoor chair for US$59 and a tool chest with tools for US$39," she said.

A month later, Ms Coulstock was puzzled to receive a small package in the mail from China.

"I opened it and inside was a cheap gold necklace with a gold leaf … I thought that's not what I ordered," she said.

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A few days later, another tiny parcel arrived, this time it contain a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant.

A tracking number on one of the parcels matched that of the quad bike, while the other necklace appeared to have been sent in place of the hanging chair and tool chest, Ms Coulstock said.

"It's just weird, very weird," she said, adding that after lodging a complaint she managed to get refunds for the chair and tool bench from PayPal but was still fighting to get her money back for the quad bike.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-9news-lunch-podcast/nov-8-new-health-benefits-of-alcohol-with-a-catch/embed?style=cover

Marissa Hadland helps runs the popular "Facebook Ad Scambusters!" page on Facebook, which has more than 8000 members.

Ms Hadland said the same scams, such as the Christmas tree and sticker pairing, had been cropping up over and over again for years.

"There are billions of dollars in ads being bought by China-based scam rings to rip off Aussies and Americans," she said.

"It's the worst kept secret on Facebook, and honestly we're hoping negative stories will finally stick in the news cycle."

READ MORE: Mum locked out of Queensland has to 'exchange' kids at border

The scammers often stole photos of items being sold by legitimate businesses to use in their ads, then offered the products at ultra-cheap prices as a way to lure customers in, Ms Hadland said.

Sending a cheap item, rather than nothing at all, tended to make it harder for victims to get refunds, she added.

"They do mostly send something because PayPal tends to reject claims when there is real tracking," Ms Hadland said.

"The scammers are also able to gaslight people by sending a cheap copy – telling people that is what they ordered."

Often customers were told to post the item back to China at their own expense, leading some people to give up, Ms Hadland said.

The number of Australians reporting bait and switch scams is growing.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Scamwatch program received almost 1800 reports of online shopping scams originating on social media from the beginning of this year to October 24, with over $794,000 in losses.

During the same timeframe, it received 119 reports where customers tried to purchase a particular product and were sent completely different goods of a lesser value.

Some replacement items mentioned in the reports were "face masks" instead of kitchenware, a "notepad" instead of an iPad and "sunglasses" instead of shoes.

Perth security guard Paul, who asked for his surname to be withheld, similarly fell victim when he bought an $80 tool bench advertised on Facebook.

What came in the mail was a cheap toolkit worth about $5, he said.

Since then, Paul has made something of a sport of trying to catch other scammers out, ordering items and reporting them to PayPal when the wrong product shows up. Paul said he also reported the sellers to the companies whose goods they purported to be selling.

Paul said it was easy to spot the ads belonging to scammers.

"They will often come up as sponsored ad, and they usually offer outrageous discounts," he said.

Power tools and tool benches were popular items for scammers to tout, Paul said.

Scammers often posted a video of a person using the item they were advertising, sometimes the person's face was blurred, he said.

One common scam involves advertisers selling pallet loads of goods. The scammers fraudulently claim the pallets are made up of returned or excess stock from retail giant Amazon.

Often sold at dirt cheap prices, the advertised pallets represent a bargain many find hard to resist.

Looking to expose the scam, Paul bought a so-called "Amazon" pallet load of goods, containing tools and equipment.

Instead of a bulky delivery arriving on his doorstep, he received four small items – a mini wireless speaker, a keyring, a watch and a recharging cable.

In another scam, Paul ordered a deluxe tool chest including tools for $80 and was sent out three small plastic rods in the post.

"I reported it to PayPal but the company asked me to send it back to China. It cost $20 to send the sticks back to China via Australia Post," Paul said.

Paul said Facebook needed to be held accountable for its lack of action on scammers using its platform.

"Personally, I see Facebook doing little to stop these fake sponsor adverts," he said.

"They should be held accountable under Australian law as they are financially reaping the proceeds of crime and are responsible for the lack of content control on their platform."   

When asked about the bait and switch scams, a spokesperson for Facebook – which also owns Instagram – told 9news.com.au the social media giant took the problem seriously.

"We do not allow scams on our services and we take swift action to remove them as soon as we become aware," the spokesperson said.

"We encourage people to report pages or profiles that violate these rules by promoting products, services, schemes or offers that are deceptive or misleading.

"We work to get ahead of scammers and that includes making investments in our enforcement and putting in place real world consequences, including taking legal action."

How the scam works and tips to protect yourself

·       Online shopping scams involve scammers pretending to be legitimate online sellers with fake websites, fake ads on genuine retailer sites, or through the use of social media platforms by creating fake stores or posting ads on social media.

·       If a product is too good to be true, it probably is. Look out for sellers offering items at extremely low prices.

·       Be suspicious of sellers that insist on immediate payment, or payment via bank transfer.  Only pay for items using a secure payment service – look for a URL starting with "https" and a closed padlock symbol, or a payment provider such as PayPal.

·       If you've bought something online and there is a problem, you should try to contact the retailer as there may be a legitimate reason for the problem.

·       If you are not satisfied with the response and suspect you may have been scammed, you may be able to arrange a charge-back through your bank if you paid by credit card.

·       You can also report a scam to the ACCC through the Scamwatch website.

·       Tell your friends and family about the scam so you can help protect others.

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at em********@******om.au.

The Twitterverse has spoken.

Elon Musk tweeted Saturday that he would let Twitter users decide if he should sell 10 per cent of the 170.5 million shares he holds in Tesla, and 58 per cent of the more than 3.5 million voters said "yes."

Musk, the company's founder and CEO posted the poll Saturday afternoon which said, "Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10 per cent of my Tesla stock. Do you support this?"

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https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1457064697782489088

He added he will follow the poll's result whichever way it goes, but has not yet announced what, if anything, he will do next.

Musk receives no salary from Tesla. His 170.5 million shares of Telsa were worth $US 208.3 billion ($281.77 billion) as of the close of trading on Friday.

At the price of $US 1,222.09 per share, 10 percent of them would be valued at $US 20.8 billion ($28.14 billion).

With a long-term capital gains tax rate of 20 per cent for someone in Musk's income bracket, a tax bill from the sale would approach $US 4.2 billion ($5.68 billion).

He has owned 80 per cent of those 170.5 million Tesla shares since the company's initial public offering in 2010. In addition to the shares he owns currently, he has the option to buy another 73.5 million shares.

READ MORE: Mum locked out of Queensland has to 'exchange' kids at border

It's not clear if those shares would be counted in his holdings if the Twitterverse convinces him to sell 10 per cent of his stake in the company.

A ProPublica investigation in June found Musk paid no federal income taxes in 2018 — and in 2017 he paid only $US 65,000 ($87,925).

"Note, I do not take a cash salary or bonus from anywhere. I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock," Musk tweeted on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1454808104256737289

Earlier in the week, Musk offered to sell Tesla stock 'right now' if the United Nations could prove $US 6 billion ($8.12 billion) would solve world hunger.

His comments Monday came after UN World Food Programme (WFP) director David Beasley challenged the ultra-wealthy, and in particular the world's two richest men — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Musk — to "step up now, on a one-time basis" to help solve world hunger in an interview with CNN last week.

"Six billion dollars to help 42 million people that are literally going to die if we don't reach them. It's not complicated," Beasley said on CNN's Connect the World program with Becky Anderson.

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The sum would equate to roughly 2 per cent of Musk's net wealth.

Prince William has also criticized billionaires who are focused on space tourism, which could include Musk, who also founded SpaceX.

The company sent the first all-tourist crew to space in September, though most of the company's revenue comes from commercial launches and NASA contracts.

As of Sunday, Musk is the richest man on Earth with a total net worth of $US 338 billion ($457.21 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

A missing teenager from North Carolina in the US was rescued by Kentucky police after she signalled for help by using a hand gesture known on social media app TikTok to represent violence at home, according to police.

The 16-year-old from Asheville, North Carolina, was reported missing by her parents on Tuesday, according to the Laurel County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky. On Thursday, a motorist in Kentucky called 911 to report seeing a girl in distress in a vehicle on the interstate.

"The complainant was behind the vehicle and noticed a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform 'Tik Tok' to represent violence at home – I need help – domestic violence," reads the statement posted on Friday by the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.

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READ MORE: Kiwi surfer channels Mick Fanning to kick off shark attack

The hand gesture is a one-handed sign someone can use when in distress, according to the Canadian Women's Foundation. Someone using the signal holds their hand up with their palm facing out, then tucks their thumb into their hand and then closes their fingers to trap thumb.

Police told CNN affiliate WYMT that the teen had learned the hand gesture on TikTok. The person who called 911 stayed behind the vehicle for seven miles relaying information to police, according to WYMT. Police were able to pull over the car and rescue the teen.

The suspect originally took the teen from North Carolina to Ohio where he has relatives, police said. They left Ohio once his relatives found out the teen was a minor and reported missing, according to police.

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"We don't know how long coming down the interstate from Ohio that she had been doing this to other motorists hoping that they would notice that she was in distress, but finally someone did recognise," Laurel County Sheriff's Deputy Gilbert Acciardo told WYMT.

Police arrested a man on Thursday and charged him with unlawful imprisonment and possession of a matter of sex performance by a minor (over 12 but under 18).

WARNING: Graphic image below

There are stories of punching a shark in the nose during an attack, but a Taranaki surfer fought off one with his feet.

Tai Juneau, 26, was surfing in the waters off State Highway 45 on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island when a shark bite partially severed fingers on his right hand.

READ MORE: Search called off for 57-year old attacked by shark

"Instinctually" he started kicking, Mr Juneau told Stuff.

Then Mr Juneau felt his foot hit a "big blubbery thing" before seeing a half-metre-long tail swimming away through the sea.

"Kind of like it was running away," he said.

Mr Juneau, who has been living in the United States but spent most of his schooling years in New Plymouth, had been waiting about for the winds to turn offshore so he could hit the waves.

Tuesday, November 2, was the day, and Mr Juneau, who was nearing the end of a three-month holiday, went out in the afternoon to a spot he would not reveal.

"I was trading waves with some guys for about an hour and had seen some funny [water] activity, but didn't think anything of it."

Twenty minutes later, while paddling back out after catching a wave, he felt something hit his hand.

He wasn't in pain, but lifted his hand to find it was "all torn up", with one of his fingers dangling.

"I was pretty disgusted and was in shock," Mr Juneau said.

"Then I felt some tugs on my leg rope."

READ MORE: Skipper still missing after WA boat capsizes

Thinking about the time when a shark became tangled in Australian professional surfer Mick Fanning's foot strap, Mr Juneau jumped off his board and into the water.

"I didn't want to give it a reason to lash out any more."

Then, when he was in the water with the shark, he felt another tug.

"Instinctually I just gave some massive kicks and ended up connecting with one of them."

READ MORE: 'Doug', the ugly New Zealand potato, could be world's biggest

After watching the shark swim away, Mr Juneau yelled out to a fellow surfer that he thought he "just got bit by a shark", before jumping back on his board "like a fleeing animal".

Within 10 seconds he'd caught a wave and was soon on shore.

Mr Juneau remembers thinking: "Did that really just happen?"

And although he "didn't see any gnashing teeth as everyone imagines", he was fairly certain it was a shark.

Department of Conservation marine scientist Clinton Duffy told the NZ Herald it would have most likely been a broadnose sevengill shark.

Once onshore, a group helped Mr Juneau wrap his hand.

He was able to drive back to Oakura and then get a ride to Taranaki Base Hospital.

He had surgery on Thursday to repair the tendon, which was sliced in the ordeal.

He does not know how many stitches he has, but knows it will be months before he has recovered.

Mr Juneau can see the light-hearted side now, with his friends calling him "shark bait", and said he was glad it happened when it did – his holiday is over and he is flying back to the US on Monday.

"If it happened at the start I would have been fuming."

This article originally appeared on Stuff and has been reproduced with permission.