With the online shopping trend picking up fast, chances of people falling prey to online frauds have increased rapidly. Not only buyers, who are duped while making online payments, but also casual Internet users clicking on suspicious links or those induced to fake offers in the name of different shopping platforms can pay the price for their indiscretion.

Beware of such fake online clothing websites on the prowl to target unassuming and gullible people. These websites cheat buyers by alluring them with bigger discounts on expensive brands.

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A senior police official from the Delhi Police said that such illegal acts are in trend among frauds. People are getting cheated with their hard-earned money on these fake websites. However, police take proper action on complaints and have arrested some of the accused involved in such activity.

“Police teams keep track of such fake websites. Simultaneously, police even carry out campaigns to create awareness against such online malpractice.” the official said.

Online fraud has become a bigger challenge to deal with in day-to-day life. People involved in such activity keep on upgrading their modus operandi to defraud common people and the latest one has come in the form of ‘fake clothing websites’.

These websites cheat buyers by alluring them of bigger discounts on expensive brands. Notably, last year, the Mumbai Police had informed people about these websites and even named a few. But the cheats act smart and change their website’s old domain with a new one.

The websites in question pop up on social media, which induce people by offering big discounts on branded clothes. People get tempted by getting the option of buying branded clothes at lower prices. They go shopping on that website, and make online payment to avail the offer as soon as possible. They even get the message on their phone when shopping on the website. However, the delivery of the product never comes.

Later, when people try to go back to the website to check the status of the delivery, the website doesn’t open, making them realise that they have been cheated. If police sources are to be believed, it is next to impossible to get back the cheated amount. This is why, it is being appealed to the citizens to be careful, while shopping online.

The people are also advised people time and again to choose a reputed and authentic website for shopping. Moreover, it is advised to avoid shopping on the website, which has no Cash on Delivery option.

According to police sources, people sometimes avoid filing reports (FIR) and choose to ignore, if they are cheated for a small amount.

It is being informed that, the police had arrested an IT expert in this regard earlier, who was selling household items using fake websites and duped more than 22,000 people for over Rs. 70-80 lakhs.

The police repeatedly carry on campaigns to make netizens aware of fake shopping websites.

List of some of fake websites as reported are: shartiy5.myshopify.com, shopiiee.com, white-stones.in, jollyfashion.in, fabricmaniaa.com, takesaree.com, assuredkart.in, republicsaleoffers.myshopify.com, fabricwibes.com, efinancetic.com, thefabricshome.com, thermoclassic.site, kasmira.in.