Warning to the public: The Israel Internet Association is issuing a warning to the public and a practical guide to protecting against online fraud that has been gaining momentum recently.
Dozens of sites posing as shopping sites try to sting Israelis, among them: sites that offer non-existent products, impersonate well-known brands and even some that try to sting the elderly. The fake shopping sites pose as legitimate websites. In practice, they charge unsuspecting consumers without giving them anything in return, or for inferior or counterfeit products that differ from what was promised in the first place.
Sophisticated bite
Complaints about these fake websites were recently received on the Safe Internet Helpline of the Israel Internet Association. Most sites offer mobile accessories and electronic gadgets, fashion brands and more.
Many websites impersonate sites selling well-known brands (illustration), Photo: GettyImages
Apart from fake websites, it was found that some of the stings are carried out in a sophisticated and complex manner by running advertising campaigns and falsifying news items and product reviews from news and technology sites, which indicate the "quality" of the store and its products and direct consumers to it through paid advertising on social networks.
"It is important to be alert and most importantly - skeptical!"
Jonathan Ben-Horin, director of the Israel Internet Association's Safe Internet Helpline, said, "The phenomenon of counterfeit online stores is a growing trend that is important for consumers to know. These stores often appear to be legitimate sites for all intents and purposes, but are actually run by scammers who do not intend to provide shoppers with the product they purchased."
Ben-Horin added: "The purchasing public must be alert and skeptical towards ads and sites that offer deals that seem too good to be true and carefully check who is behind the site and if there is anyone to provide service to customers if necessary."
Fraudulent sites and false ads
There are many examples of fraudulent sites and false ads for online shopping sites, here are some of them:
A scam gaining momentum (illustration), photo: GettyImages
Sites aimed at the elderly who want to purchase wheelchairs and are left with disappointment, JBL speakers for 10 shekels, supposedly a sale by the well-known KSP chain, and more.
A website that impersonates a Crocs store with a domain similar to the brand name but does not provide products at all:
https://www.crocsisrael.com/
A fictitious online fashion store used for fraud. The store claims to present quality fashion items, from well-known brands at cheap prices. The products are not premium products and according to a reverse search of many items on the site - these are cheap products that do not belong to a unique brand and are sold in most of the well-known online arenas (Amazon, Ali Express and more). This is a fake store that operates from three main domains known to us:
Coco Tel Aviv: https://coco-telaviv.co.il/
Coco Stockholm: https://coco-stockholm.se/
Coco Geneva: https://coco-geneva.ch/
How to spot suspicious websites
Against the background of the growing phenomenon, the Israel Internet Association publishes a guide for web consumers with warning signs and tips for identifying suspicious online shopping sites:
A young man surfing the internet (illustration), photo: GettyImages
Unrealistic prices: Have you come across an advertisement for an unfamiliar website offering well-known brands at prices significantly lower than the market price in other stores? Apparently this is a scam.
Look for the "mom and dad" behind the site: the contact details of the site are unclear or non-existent? Is there a customer service phone number? Real physical location for self pickup? Will you have anywhere to turn if you want to ask about a product or are not satisfied with the purchase? A legitimate store will not be ashamed to reveal who owns it.
Is this business also active on social networks and how:A serious website and store will market themselves on networks as well. Go to the company's Facebook or Instagram page - do the posts, followers and commenters seem authentic to you? Are they recent and suitable for the business website?
Do the banners, comments and ads on the site point to relevant or existing content? Many fraudulent sites display fake banners that refer to positive recommendations or reviews about the site's products but are actually inactive.
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