Beware the dreaded ‘mini-roll’: Online scammers are duping people into buying tiny toilet paper rolls

Toilet paper has become a precious commodity since the start of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year as crowds descended upon grocery stores to panic-buying rolls en masse. The hoarding has since driven shoppers online to scour for sales as prices soared to as much as $10 a roll late last month.

But now, toilet paper scammers are taking advantage of the situation by duping internet shoppers into buying the sought-after good at lower prices — only to deliver miniature-sized rolls.

According to the Charlotte Observer, after placing orders from dubious online outfits, American shoppers have been receiving absurd variations of toilet paper on their doorsteps, inspiring terms such as "mini rolls," "baby rolls" and "doll paper."

Shirley Ann Hodges of Florida told McClatchy News she ordered 12 rolls for $16.99 from Asia, which seemed reasonable. She got the 12 rolls all right, but they're a fraction of the size she expected.

"Yeah, they took advantage of us. I put some in Easter baskets as gag gifts," Hodges said. "I didn't send it back. What happens if I get desperate?"

Hector Cruz of Charlotte said "the TP shortage of 2020" compelled him to order a 10-pack for $14.99 and he ended up with rolls one-third the normal size.

He says he saw the ridiculousness and shared photos on Facebook, figuring others could use "a good laugh."

"Maybe they thought I had Lego figures that needed TP," he wrote on Facebook.

Commenting on his girlfriend's order of a 12-pack of toilet paper off of Amazon — which somehow fit inside his mailbox — Medium.com blogger J.R. Reed wrote: "This is what happens to people in the early days of the pandemic, with people hoarding toilet paper. You force people like my girlfriend who are very intelligent and extremely sane to order Chinese toilet paper off Amazon."

For those who wish to score toilet paper online but want to avoid being ripped off, Digital Trends has offered some pointers. Implicit in its post about how to buy toilet paper online is some prudent advice — stick to retailers you recognize.

"First, you need to have a list of online retailers to check for new supplies, and you need to check them often to score a new shipment. Thankfully, this is a lot easier than running to every store in your town looking for a roll," a recent post reads. "In addition to conventional online stores like Walmart, Amazon, and Target, check at some less obvious sites like Lowes, Home Depot, OfficeMax, and Staples."

If, however, you are forced to wade into foreign e-commerce waters, whatever you do, beware the dreaded mini-roll.