• Fraudsters create counterfeit online shopping platforms resembling legitimate e-commerce sites.
• These fake websites offer deep discounts to attract buyers.
• Victims pay for products that are never delivered.
• Scammers frequently change website domains to avoid detection.
• Financial impact: ₹20 crore fraud uncovered in Surat.

1. Surat Online Shopping Scam (2024)

Steps of the Fraud:

1. Creation of Fake E-commerce Websites: Fraudsters developed multiple counterfeit online shopping platforms with names resembling popular e-commerce sites, such as offerkkart.shop and offervillaa.shop.
2. Attractive Offers and Discounts: These websites showcased heavily discounted kitchen and household products to lure customers.
3. Promotion via Social Media: The fraudulent sites were advertised extensively on social media platforms to reach a broader audience.
4. Collection of Payments: Unsuspecting customers placed orders and made payments through these fake websites.
5. Non-Delivery of Products: After receiving payments, the fraudsters did not deliver any products, leaving customers defrauded.
6. Frequent Domain Changes: To evade detection, the scammers used each domain for about eight days before abandoning it and switching to a new one.
7. Law Enforcement Action: Authorities arrested six individuals involved in the scam, uncovering that the racket had amassed approximately ₹20 crore over 18 months.