A Fulshear woman says she fell victim to a fake Facebook page and received clothing that did not match what she ordered. Gaylin Soderstrom wrote into ‘2 Helps You’ to warn about what happened to her. – A Fulshear woman claims she fell victim to a fake Facebook page and received clothing that did not match her order.
claims she fell victim to a fake Facebook page and received clothing that did not match her order
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Gaylin Soderstrom wrote into ‘2 Helps You’ to warn about what happened to her. She says she felt foolish after spending $78 on two sweaters from a Facebook ad.
“I feel like a fool. I feel really stupid about it. And it’s only $78... but that’s a lot of money to a lot of people,” she said.
Consumer catfishing occurs when retailers misrepresent themselves to obtain your money, much like catfishing in dating, which involves pretending to be someone else.
Soderstrom saw an ad for a retailer called Ella and Lune, which described itself as “effortless style designed for the modern woman.”
Page claims to be local, store map and hours
The page claimed to be based in Austin, with posted store hours and dozens of curated posts featuring sleek clothing and a local vibe.
If you are just casually shopping online, it would be easy to think this was an actual store in Austin.
The website outside of Facebook included a story from the supposed founder, saying, “I am Ella and I started this store as a mom who simply wanted to build something meaningful with my daughter, Lune.”
Soderstrom bought into the story and ordered two shirts for $78. A month later, she received a package shipped directly from China.
The items did not match the quality, style, or color of what she ordered.
She realized she had been catfished — but with clothing.
Soderstrom emailed the company requesting a refund and questioned the claims that Ella and Lune was an Austin boutique.
She shared, “And they said, ‘We are based in Austin, but some of our stuff is shipping direct from China.’”
However, a check with the Texas Secretary of State’s office found no business registered under the name Ella and Lune.
The Facebook page was created only in October, and many of its more than 5,000 followers appear to be fake profiles. The photos on the page were AI-generated.
In a final email, the company told Soderstrom it could cost $50 to send the items back to China and warned the package might not clear customs.
“I would never have ordered if I thought they were in China. I don’t ever order from Shein or Temu for that reason,” she said.
We also checked to see when the web page was created. The page claimed to be having a ‘10-year anniversary party’ but this page was created just months ago.
You can check the registration of a website here: Whois.com - Domain Names & Identity for Everyone.
Page disappears after 2 Investigates email
2 Investigates emailed both Facebook and Ella & Lune. We reporting the false claims on the Facebook page that the company is in Austin. Less than 12 hours later, both Ella & Lune’s website and the Facebook page are gone.