Learn how to identify a fake e-commerce offer!
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:24 am
A few weeks ago, hundreds of consumers were surprised by the arrest of the owners of the online store 123 Importados , which sold products at a price far below market value. According to the Civil Police, the scheme affected around 10 thousand people across the country and caused an estimated loss of at least R$10 million reais.
As part of its monitoring of the local web threat landscape, Kaspersky regularly checks for deceptive websites that appear official but are not. Since March, when 123 Importados was identified as fraudulent, they have blocked their users from accessing the store page. According to the website Virus Total , Kaspersky products were the only ones to recognize the site as a threat.
“Being proactive in cybersecurity includes protecting our customers from online fraud, even before the threat becomes news. The suspicious activity related to this website raised red flags about their bosnia and herzegovina whatsapp list practices,” explains Fabio Assolini, senior security analyst at Kaspersky in Brazil.
After identifying the site as a scam and activating its blocking on a Kaspersky product, the store owners began threatening Kaspersky with legal action. This is nothing new, as fraudsters often resort to such tactics to intimidate security companies. They did not back down, as their experience and investigative analysis proved that they were right to take such measures to protect their customers ,” he adds.
According to Assolini, these were the signs that led us to categorize the 123 Importados website as a threat to users. Be aware of these signs to avoid falling victim to similar scams:
Pay attention to the payment options: purchases on the 123 Importados website can only be paid via bank slip. Although some users believe this is a safer option, Assolini explains that it is actually the opposite. Unlike credit cards, bank slips do not allow the money to be tracked and, consequently, cannot be refunded in the event of fraud. Therefore, one tip is to choose to pay via credit card whenever possible.
Check the CNPJ: on the websites of the State Commercial Boards, it is possible to check relevant information about online stores. In the case of 123 Importados, the experts identified an inconsistency in the share capital declared in the CNPJ. “The company declared share capital of R$1,000. The amount was completely incompatible with the products sold. This made the bad intentions even more evident” , explains Assolini.
Keep an eye on the store's reputation: online platforms for consumer complaints, such as Reclame Aqui or Consumidor.gov, are a good reference for checking the reputation of an e-commerce site. In addition, Procon maintains a list of sites to avoid. Kaspersky products have been blocking the sites on this list since 2015.
Assolini adds that, to disguise the scam, the criminals ran massive advertisements on television. They also sent products randomly to some customers and advertised the deliveries made extensively. “The criminals purchased these products from real stores and passed them on to customers as if they were their own. The problem was that the amount on the invoice was not the same as that advertised in the stores, which raised suspicions even more.”
As part of its monitoring of the local web threat landscape, Kaspersky regularly checks for deceptive websites that appear official but are not. Since March, when 123 Importados was identified as fraudulent, they have blocked their users from accessing the store page. According to the website Virus Total , Kaspersky products were the only ones to recognize the site as a threat.
“Being proactive in cybersecurity includes protecting our customers from online fraud, even before the threat becomes news. The suspicious activity related to this website raised red flags about their bosnia and herzegovina whatsapp list practices,” explains Fabio Assolini, senior security analyst at Kaspersky in Brazil.
After identifying the site as a scam and activating its blocking on a Kaspersky product, the store owners began threatening Kaspersky with legal action. This is nothing new, as fraudsters often resort to such tactics to intimidate security companies. They did not back down, as their experience and investigative analysis proved that they were right to take such measures to protect their customers ,” he adds.
According to Assolini, these were the signs that led us to categorize the 123 Importados website as a threat to users. Be aware of these signs to avoid falling victim to similar scams:
Pay attention to the payment options: purchases on the 123 Importados website can only be paid via bank slip. Although some users believe this is a safer option, Assolini explains that it is actually the opposite. Unlike credit cards, bank slips do not allow the money to be tracked and, consequently, cannot be refunded in the event of fraud. Therefore, one tip is to choose to pay via credit card whenever possible.
Check the CNPJ: on the websites of the State Commercial Boards, it is possible to check relevant information about online stores. In the case of 123 Importados, the experts identified an inconsistency in the share capital declared in the CNPJ. “The company declared share capital of R$1,000. The amount was completely incompatible with the products sold. This made the bad intentions even more evident” , explains Assolini.
Keep an eye on the store's reputation: online platforms for consumer complaints, such as Reclame Aqui or Consumidor.gov, are a good reference for checking the reputation of an e-commerce site. In addition, Procon maintains a list of sites to avoid. Kaspersky products have been blocking the sites on this list since 2015.
Assolini adds that, to disguise the scam, the criminals ran massive advertisements on television. They also sent products randomly to some customers and advertised the deliveries made extensively. “The criminals purchased these products from real stores and passed them on to customers as if they were their own. The problem was that the amount on the invoice was not the same as that advertised in the stores, which raised suspicions even more.”