Company targets Northwest anglers, leaving them on hook, BBB warns

The Better Business Bureau is warning anglers in the Pacific Northwest about a scam in which a fishing company takes customers’ money without ever delivering merchandise.

Reel Hook Fishing, an online company based in Auburn, Washington, has been reaching out to anglers around the region, asking for support in exchange for products, the BBB said in a news release.

“The complainants were generally contacted via social media and asked to ‘help a local company’ by purchasing a T-shirt,” the release said. “The customer was often promised free merchandise in return.”

The BBB said it received 14 complaints and more than 700 inquiries from customers who claim their merchandise never arrived. The company also does business online under the monikers Angler’s Cast, Target Hunt Co. and LOA Outdoors, the BBB said.

As of Friday, the company had not returned multiple attempts at contact from the BBB. The agency issued Reel Hook Fishing an “F” rating and urged customers to be cautious when buying items online.

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