Fake mail-order site, one after another, leads from searches and SNS

Fake site masquerading as the official mail order site for Iris Ohyama (left) and BRUNO (right)

There are a series of fraudulent damages caused by fake sites for Internet shopping. The Consumer Affairs Agency is calling attention to the fact that there are cases where advertisements related to search keywords are displayed higher than the official website using "listing advertisements". [Illustration] Changes in the number of phishing reports (March 2021) According to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, 11,374 consultations (preliminary figures) regarding fake sites were received from April last year to February this year, and the number is on the rise. It is said that there are many tricks such as misleading people by misleading them by leading them to fake department store sites from Internet exchange sites (SNS) or by making them appear at the top of the results when they search for brands or product names. On the 9th of this month, the Consumer Affairs Agency announced a total of 40 sites disguised as official online shopping sites for "Iris Ohyama" and "BRUNO," which sell daily necessities and home appliances, and issued a warning based on the Consumer Safety Act. These fake sites used brand logos and product images that closely resembled the real thing, and advertised significant discounts such as "50% off all products." Only credit card payment can be selected, and the product will not be delivered even if purchased. In one case, a total of 129,800 yen was paid for a refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner, and a microwave oven. It uses an overseas server, and it is said that the operation status is unknown. A person in charge of the agency said, "Many people are starting a new life in preparation for the new fiscal year, and their willingness to buy is increasing. There are fake sites labeled as 'official,' so please check if the URL is official." speaking.