By Ashley Mergen

Millions of teenage girls around the country will fork over their hard-earned dollars from babysitting gigs and after-school jobs to make their prom night memorable. While some of these purchases are meant to be fake—eyelashes, tans, or hair extensions—others could be less than they bargained for.

This morning, NBC’s Today Show highlighted the latest trend in prom fashion: counterfeiters preying on teens. Reporter Jeff Rossen found that tech savvy teens were canvassing websites to find their dream dresses at bargain prices. After just a few clicks and a credit card number, what arrives in the mail could be a prom nightmare:

“Is nothing sacred anymore? Now they’re going after prom. We’ve told you about scammers, of course, selling fake electronics and handbags and the list goes on. Now these scammers are targeting the prom, fooling teenage girls with fake designer dresses, charging hundreds of dollars for gowns that literally fall apart right in your hands.”

For more on this story, including one girl’s tale of a counterfeit dress that came with a sewing kit, check out Today’s report:

To prevent your teen from crying in the punch bowl, we have 10 handy tips for buying trusted brands online.