Fake Stanley cups scam prompts warnings from cops

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Stanley Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler. Image: Stanley via PR Newswire

The rise in popularity of Stanley cups has counterfeit versions of the merchandise circulating on some online sites, and police are telling consumers to avoid buying them.

These most popular version of the stainless steel tumblers can hold 40 oz. of liquids while keeping it at a desired temperature.

The Morton Grove Police Department in Illinois said on their official Facebook page that officers found the cups online for $19.

"Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is. Beware of tricky websites using the brand’s popularity. Shady websites pretending to offer discounts on Stanley cups have been found to be scamming shoppers. If you purchase a cup through a shady website, your personal information may be compromised and your money...gone," the police department wrote.

Police also encourage shoppers planning to buy a cup to make sure it's purchased through verified and trusted sellers, to avoid imitation sites, and to monitor the businesses' social media feed, website, and read reviews.

A warning from police comes after Target released a special edition Starbucks pink Stanley quencher vacuum stainless steel tumbler on Jan. 4, leading to large crowds of shoppers at stores nationwide.

In June 2023, the Better Business Bureau warned that shoppers looking to purchase the popular tumbler would know they were the victim of a scam if they ordered one and didn’t receive a confirmation email and couldn't contact the company where they bought it.

The agency noted that some consumers received shipping information from the online site, but the cup never arrived at their home, and was delivered to Alaska.

Accoding to the BBB, shoppers who bought a Stanley cup from a fraudulent site lost their personal information and money spent, and the product ordered never existed.

Months later, Malwaretips.com shared in Nov. 2023 that a fake Stanley cup outlet existed, selling tumblers for $5.99 using sponsored ads and social media posts.

This story was reported from Washington, D.C.