Chinese network behind one of world’s ‘largest online scams’
www.theguardian.com
Exclusive: Vast web of fake shops touting designer brands took money and personal details from 800,000 people in Europe and US, data suggests

A trove of data examined by experts indicates the operation is highly organised, technically savvy – and ongoing.

Operating on an industrial scale, programmers have created tens of thousands of fake web shops offering discounted goods from Dior, Nike, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Versace and Prada, as well as many other premium brands.

Published in multiple languages from English to German, French, Spanish, Swedish and Italian, the websites appear to have been set up to lure shoppers into parting with money and sensitive personal data.

However, the sites have no connection to the brands they claim to sell and in most cases consumers who spoke about their experience said they received no items.

  • @h3ndrik@feddit.de
    18•8 months ago

    Seems in this case they got own domains and independent stores.

    And Aliexpress and Temu are very different. Aliexpress seems to be a halfway decent platform. Never had any major issues with them, except what’s to be expected when importing stuff from China. I think it’s very similar to ordering the same thing on eBay.

    Temu isn’t. That platform is made to harvest data and prey on their “customers”.

    And I can’t comment on Wish. I haven’t been interested in cheap crap.

    • Rikudou_SageA
      4•8 months ago

      AliExpress and all the others are trying to ruin your local economy in addition to spying on you.

      • @h3ndrik@feddit.de
        1•8 months ago

        I’m not sure what to make of this. So is Amazon and practically everyone of the super sucessful companies of our current world.

        I was trying to hint at that they’re not all the same. Temu is especially bad due to several reasons. Next level bad. And I’d like to point that out instead of mixing it all together.

        But I agree. I try to shop in proper stores. I go to the city center to buy clothes, shoes, my smartphones etc. Sadly less and less people do so and some things become unavailable. Smaller shops close. And I can’t source some spare parts or electronics locally anymore. I’m not okay with that, but it is how it is. I’m trying to make a difference. But if I were to buy an adapter to connect my old Nintendo to my TV, there just isn’t a shop around anymore which would be able to sell that to me. And they’re all manufactured in China anyways. If there is a family owned reseller in my country, I choose them. Sometimes it’s not and I unwillingly but it from Amazon, eBay or Aliexpress if I really need it. But I’d never buy from Temu (or Wish.)