A massive scam targeting you
Silent Push analysts uncovered thousands of fake websites posing as trusted stores like Apple, Michael Kors, Harbor Freight, REI, Omaha Steaks and more. There’s a massive global scam operation that uses real payment methods on fake checkout pages. Like thousands-of-sites massive.
The twist? The criminals, likely based in China, take your payment and ghost you. No product. No refund. No customer service. Total fake-out.
They cloned sites
They’re copying everything. Logos, layouts, even the checkout process, so much so that you’d swear you were on the real REI website while buying $10 trail shoes.
But there were some sites with mismatched logos and products. A Harbor Freight clone showed Wrangler jeans.
Even worse: These scam sites are popping up faster than hosting companies can take them down. Many are still up right now.
Don’t fall for it
- Slow down and read. Misspelled words, weird domain names like “nordstromltems.com” (that’s an L, not an I) or random products are huge red flags.
- Use virtual cards or a credit card. Not a debit card. You need that fraud protection.
- Stick to the real URL. Skip the sketchy ads. Always type the URL in yourself.
- If the deal looks too good, it probably is a scam. Period.
Bottom line: If the deal looks like it crawled straight out of your dreams, it’s probably from your nightmares. Slow down before you click “buy.”