503/68 Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Cybersecurity firm CloudSEK has uncovered a network of over 2,000 fake shopping websites impersonating major brands such as Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Dell, Ray-Ban, and Xiaomi, with the goal of defrauding consumers during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. The campaign appears to be a large-scale, coordinated operation, with multiple fraudulent sites linked together in a structured network.
CloudSEK reports that these fake websites were built using the same toolkit, featuring similar page designs and employing aggressive psychological tactics to pressure shoppers, including countdown timers, low-stock alerts, and fake trust badges. When users attempt to make a purchase, they are redirected to fraudulent payment pages designed to steal credit card and financial information. Some websites also rely on domain redirection to avoid detection. Each site is capable of generating thousands to tens of thousands of dollars before being taken down, highlighting the significant financial impact on victims.
Researchers warn that this campaign could cause widespread financial losses and erode trust in e-commerce systems during a peak shopping period. Consumers are advised to look out for warning signs of fraudulent sites, such as prices that are unrealistically low, overly aggressive promotional banners, unusual domain names containing extra words, and lack of clear contact information. If such indicators are detected, users should avoid the site and verify deals directly on the official brand website to ensure safety.
Source https://hackread.com/fake-shopping-sites-cyber-monday/
