2,000 Fraud Sites Taken Off-Line

Online shoppers are less likely to fall foul of internet fraudsters this Christmas after some 2,000 "fraudulent" websites were suspended by the Met's Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU).

According to the Metropolitan Police on Friday, the shut sites generally purported to sell a raft of designer goods, including brands such as Nike, GHD, Tiffany and Ugg.

However, working closely with domain name registries and registrars, detectives from the unit identified and instigated action against the counterfeit and fraudulent sites, which affect thousands of unassuming consumers, generating millions of pounds for the criminals behind them.

Innocent online shoppers are duped into handing over their money in exchange for what appear to be ‘bargain’ purchases. Those items then either never materialise or are revealed to be counterfeit goods.

Victims of the sites also run the risk that the criminals behind them could potentially steal their identity, credit card and banking details for criminal activity elsewhere.

Detective Inspector Paul Hoare of PCeU said: “The sites suspended are registered in bulk by crime groups with the sole intention of duping consumers into parting with their money for, at best, poor quality counterfeit goods, at worst, nothing at all. In the run up to Christmas the PCeU will continue to work with Nominet and other registries to disable as many such sites as possible but I would urge customers to take all precautions to ensure they buy from legitimate sites only.”

The Met advised that online consumers could take some precautionary measures to reduce their chance of becoming a victim of such websites.

"Know who you are dealing with - Check manufacturers' websites to ensure you are buying from an approved and reputable retailer

"Be careful how you pay - If the purchase is over £100 consider using a credit card to protect your purchase, buy goods online through secure and encrypted payment systems, don't be drawn off the site to other forms of payment and consider separate credit cards or accounts for online shopping.

"Protect your personal details - Don't give away personal details unnecessarily, don't ever reveal passwords or PIN numbers.

"Protect your computer - Ensure you have up-to-date anti-virus software on you computer, use a firewall and update you computer's software regularly.

(DW)