HOLIDAY HOAX: Beware of fake Fingerlings online

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Fingerlings are a popular toy on the top of many children’s wish list this holiday season.

But it is getting harder and harder to find them, which is making it easier and easier to sell fake ones.

Fingerlings are known as adorable pets that never want to let you go.

A toy that is on Sonja Powell’s granddaughters Christmas list.

“I thought they were really cute and that the girls would love them,”Powell said.

Powell like many shoppers ordered the item online.

She bought them through an ad on Facebook, but once the Fingerlings came they were not what she expected.

“At first I didn’t think I would ever get them and then when they finally came in the mail I was so excited and then I was like you got to be kidding me,” Powell said. “It’s not what I ordered.”

Fingerlings are supposed to make more than 40 sounds and move.

When her package arrived none of her monkeys did any of those things.

She also noticed it even had the wrong name, these are called Finger Monkey.

“It’s very frustrating because I feel like I’ve been scammed ya know. It’s right here at Christmas and nobody wants to feel like they’re taken advantage of,” Powell said.

Experts say counterfeiters know they can sell hot items quickly before they get caught.

“I won’t order anything off Facebook again this was lesson learned,” Powell said.

Fingerling’s website also has a warning about knock-offs.

While others warn that knock-offs may contain lead or have small parts that are choking hazards making these toys unsafe.

Meanwhile Powell now has to continue the search for a real deal.

“I thought I was ahead of the game and now I’m behind the eight ball, so its very disheartening,” Powell said.

If you do order Fingerlings online you want to look out for the price, packaging, notice differences in names and errors in spelling.