Going, going, gone: Scam websites imitating famous brands are luring in victims on social media. What can be done?

TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:

"Fraudulent Websites Impersonating Major Brands Target Australian Consumers on Social Media"

Going, going, gone: Scam websites imitating famous brands are luring in victims on social media. What can be done? analysis cover image The Guardian 7.3
Image Source: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c5ec99a814a541ca111e4bf853b397b5e02eaaf1/492_71_1596_1278/master/1596.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=a27198cd52ea530dcdb6e87e1139ff1a
Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/24/scam-websites-imitating-famous-brands-on-social-media-ads
View Raw Article Source (External Link)
Raw Article Publish Date:
AI Analysis Average Score: 7.3
These scores (0-10 scale) are generated by Truthlens AI's analysis, assessing the article's objectivity, accuracy, and transparency. Higher scores indicate better alignment with journalistic standards. Hover over chart points for metric details.

TruthLens AI Summary

Australian consumers are increasingly falling victim to fraudulent websites that impersonate well-known brands, such as Blue Illusion, Millers, and Sussan, through deceptive advertisements on social media. These 'ghost stores' replicate the branding of legitimate retailers and often promote fictitious closing-down sales to entice unsuspecting customers. Guardian Australia has uncovered more than 140 such sites, with recent investigations revealing more sophisticated operations that use similar branding to major labels. For instance, a Facebook ad featuring an image of a Blue Illusion storefront misled customers to a site with a different domain, which was registered shortly before the ad campaign began. Despite the real Blue Illusion being a longstanding retailer not in the process of closing, many consumers have reported losing money on these scams, believing they were purchasing genuine products from reputable brands.

Victims of these scams have expressed frustration over the lack of action from platforms like Shopify, Meta, and PayPal to address the issue. One Melbourne resident, Elizabeth Bednall, shared her experience of spending $79.99 on items she never received after being directed to a fraudulent site that mimicked Blue Illusion. Although she managed to secure a refund through her bank, the emotional toll and feelings of embarrassment were evident. Meta has acknowledged the problem and stated that they are investigating the fraudulent pages, but some reports have been dismissed as not severe enough for immediate action. PayPal has also stated that they verify seller accounts but admitted that international sellers might not be as rigorously checked. The challenge remains that many of these ghost stores are difficult to trace back to their owners, complicating efforts to eliminate them from online platforms. Experts continue to call for more stringent measures to protect consumers from falling prey to these scams that exploit their trust in well-known brands.

TruthLens AI Analysis

The article highlights a growing issue in Australia where consumers are falling victim to scam websites mimicking well-known brands. These fraudulent sites are utilizing social media platforms to promote fake sales, leading unsuspecting customers to believe they are purchasing from reputable retailers.

Consumer Trust and Brand Reputation

The focus of the article is on the erosion of consumer trust as these scams proliferate. By imitating established brands like Blue Illusion, Millers, and Sussan, these websites not only deceive consumers but also tarnish the reputation of the legitimate brands being impersonated. The report underscores the necessity for major platforms like Shopify, Meta, and PayPal to take responsibility and implement measures to prevent such misuse of their services, which could help restore consumer confidence in online shopping.

Urgency for Action

Victims of these scams are vocal about their frustrations and are calling for immediate action from the platforms involved. The emotional impact on individuals, particularly the elderly like Elizabeth Bednall, who have lost money and faced challenges in receiving refunds, accentuates the need for a systemic response to this issue. The article implies that without intervention, these fraudulent activities will continue to escalate, affecting more consumers and further undermining trust in e-commerce.

Potential Distraction from Larger Issues

There is a suggestion that while the article addresses a significant consumer issue, it may also serve to divert attention from other pressing matters in society or the economy. By focusing on scams, the article could potentially obscure broader economic challenges or regulatory shortcomings that allow such frauds to thrive.

Reliability of the Report

The article appears to be credible, given the specific examples provided and the mention of direct contact with legitimate brands for comments. However, the manipulation factor is present in the way it frames the issue as urgent and in need of immediate attention, which may evoke a heightened sense of fear among consumers. This framing could be interpreted as a call to action for regulatory changes or increased vigilance in online shopping.

Impact on Stock Market and Economic Sentiment

While this specific issue may not directly influence stock prices, it could affect investor sentiment regarding companies involved in e-commerce and online payment processing. If consumers lose faith in these platforms due to scams, it could lead to decreased sales and ultimately impact stock values in the retail and tech sectors.

Community Reactions and Target Audience

The article resonates more with consumers who frequently shop online, particularly those who may be vulnerable to scams, such as the elderly. It aims to raise awareness among the general public while urging brands and platforms to take more proactive measures in protecting consumers.

Artificial Intelligence Usage

There is no clear indication that AI was employed in the writing of this article. However, AI could have contributed to identifying trends in consumer complaints or analyzing data regarding scam websites. If AI were used, it might have shaped the narrative to emphasize the urgency of the situation, thus influencing public perception and prompting a call for action.

Manipulative Elements

While the article is grounded in factual reporting, its emotional appeal and focus on victim stories can be seen as manipulative. By highlighting personal experiences, it stirs empathy and perhaps fear, which can drive public demand for changes in policy or platform accountability.

The article presents a critical issue regarding online scams, emphasizing the need for consumer protection and accountability from platforms. Its reliability is bolstered by specific examples, though it does carry an emotional appeal that may influence public sentiment.

Unanalyzed Article Content

Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/24/scam-websites-imitating-famous-brands-on-social-media-ads

Australian consumers are being lured to fake websites imitating major labels such as Blue Illusion, Millers and Sussan that replicate their branding and advertise fictitious closing-down sales on social media.

After previously identifying more than 140 so-called“ghost stores”falsely marketing themselves as local brands, Guardian Australia has found the problem extends to more sophisticated sites impersonating well-known retailers.

Customers who have lost money on the scams have urged Shopify, Meta andPayPalto take action to stop fraudulent players from using their software to build and advertise their sites.

OneFacebookad reviewed by Guardian Australia on 16 May featured an image of a Blue Illusion storefront and the words: “Saying goodbye is tough, dear ladies … our Final Sale is on now – let’s make this chapter truly unforgettable.”

Clicking on the ad led to an e-commerce website that used Blue Illusion’s logo but had the domain name yayeco.top, which was registered on 10 May. The real Blue Illusion, founded more than 35 years ago, is not closing down.

Guardian Australia has seen ads on Facebook for other Australian labels including Susanne Grae, Sussan and Millers, linking to sites with different domain names that use very similar branding to the real labels.

Susanne Grae and Sussan are not closing down, while Millers has already closed. The legitimate labels were contacted for comment.

Customers duped by these sites say they believed they were buying products from reputable labels, but have not received anything.

Elizabeth Bednall, a Melbourne resident, spent $79.99 in March on a raincoat and pair of pants after seeing a site she believed was Blue Illusion advertised on Facebook.

The 73-year-old said the items never arrived despite contacting the site several times and she felt “lucky” to have been able to secure a refund through her bank.

Emails between Bednall and the site she believed was Blue Illusion show it used the domain name zugite.top, which has been repurposed and now claims to be a pet accessory retailer based in California.

“I’m not that dumb. But I did feel stupid,” Bednall said. “Facebook need to be really responsible. They seem to take no action.”

Vicki Forscutt, who lives in New South Wales, reported one of the pages running the fictitious ads.

Forscutt said she was disappointed by Meta’s response, seen by Guardian Australia, which said “as our review team is focused on the most severe cases with potential for real world harm, we’re not able to review your report”.

A Meta spokesperson said it was investigating the pages. One of the scam pages had been taken down on Friday.

“Meta doesn’t want scams on our platforms and we are continuing to invest in tools and technology to prevent them,” they said. “The safety of our users is of utmost importance, and we continue to work with industry, the government and law enforcement to protect Australians from scams.”

Experts have previously called on Meta to stop ghost stores from advertising, but the issue is complicated because the owners of the sites are difficult to identify and other online platforms are involved.

For example, Guardian Australia on 16 May visited one of the websites claiming to be Millers. Guardian Australia paid $13 for a pair of trousers, using PayPal. No shipping notification was sent and the trousers have still not arrived.

PayPal Australia’s Bonnie Brady told Guardian Australia people “can have full trust” that PayPal has verified the details of any account that is live.

The company said it had removed the fake Millers site from its platform and all Australian sellers were verified when applying for a Paypal account. However, Paypal acknowledged this may not be the case for online sellers based in countries with different laws and regulations.

“PayPal has always made preventing bad actors from using our platform a top priority,” a spokesperson said.

The PayPal account Guardian Australia used to buy the items from the fake Millers site showed the payment was made to a company in Singapore.

Many of the ghost stores identified by Guardian Australia have been built using Shopify, the Canadian multinational e-commerce company headed by Tobias Lütke. Shopify has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

Back to Home
Source: The Guardian