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A huge network of fake stores advertising designer brands has stolen money and personal data from more than 800,000 people in Europe and the US, according to a joint international investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and Mond, BNR reported. A Chinese group is behind the scam.
The first fake online stores were created in 2015. In the last three years alone, more than 1 million “orders” have been processed. According to the analysis, fraudsters took about 50 million euros during this period.
More than 800,000 people have been tricked into sharing bank card details and other sensitive personal data through a vast network of fake online designer stores run by China.
The international investigation is looking into the mechanics of what Britain’s Trading Standards Institute called “one of the biggest scams of its kind”, with 76,000 fake websites created.
A body of data reviewed by reporters and Internet experts shows that the operation is well-organized, technically savvy and continues to operate. Working on an industrial scale, the programmers have created tens of thousands of fake webshops offering discounted goods from Dior, Nike, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Versace and Prada, as well as many other premium brands.
Posted in multiple languages ​​from English to German, French, Spanish, Swedish and Italian, the websites appear to be designed to lure shoppers into spending money and sharing sensitive personal data. However, the sites are not affiliated with the brands they claim to sell, and in most cases, the users who spoke about their experiences said they did not receive the items.
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