Italy starts closing fake e-commerce websites

Network of more than 13,000 online fake shops selling luxury brands allegedly managed by a group of Chinese cyber-criminals

Criminals offer discounted goods from luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani and Prada that never materialise. File picture

Italian officials have begun seizing what could be one of the world’s largest networks of online fake shops, which have defrauded would-be customers by appearing to offer discounted goods from luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani and Prada that never materialise.

The illicit network of more than 13,000 online fake shops, discovered by the Italian cybersecurity firm Yarix, is allegedly managed by a group of Chinese cyber-criminals, as suggested by infrastructure code as well as the payment system’s gateway, according to people familiar with the matter. 

A spokesman for Yarix confirmed the company is actively assisting a large-scale investigation aimed at taking down fake e-shops. The investigation could later be joined by law enforcement agencies of other European countries and the US. 

Officials at Italian law enforcement agency Polizia Postale started taking down some of these digital fake shops related to Italian brands, the sources said. 

These sites are well-designed imitations of genuine corporate websites, and customers are usually attracted because of discounted prices. But no deliveries are made, and the websites generally include a real credit card payment platform used to steal buyers’ financial data. 

A representative for Italy’s Polizia Postale confirmed the operation. “What we revealed is a coordinated, infrastructured network of well-designed fake shops across the world that in the last two years have probably stolen tens of millions of euros, dollars from unsuspecting clients,” Mirko Gatto, chief executive officer at Yarix, said. 

Italian fashion brands targeted include Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Moncler. The cyber-criminals also targeted Nike, Adidas, and New Balance. 

• Bloomberg