• Fraudsters create counterfeit e-commerce websites selling high-demand products.
• They use SEO techniques to rank these fake websites at the top of Google search results.
• Victims search for discounts and land on these fake websites.
• Payments are collected, but no products are delivered.
• Financial impact: ₹8 lakh stolen before law enforcement action.

4. Fake Shopping Website Fraud in Delhi (2024)

Steps of the Fraud:

1. Development of Counterfeit Websites: A group created fake e-commerce websites that closely resembled legitimate online shopping platforms.
2. Offering Unrealistic Discounts: These sites advertised products at prices significantly lower than market rates to attract customers.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manipulation: The fraudulent websites were optimized to appear in top search results, increasing their visibility to potential victims.
4. Order Placement and Payment Collection: Customers placed orders and made payments through these websites, believing they were purchasing genuine products.
5. Non-Fulfillment of Orders: After receiving payments, the fraudsters did not dispatch any products, leaving customers defrauded.
6. Law Enforcement Intervention: Following multiple complaints, Delhi Police arrested four individuals involved in the scam, uncovering that they had defrauded customers of approximately ₹8 lakh.