Shoppers hunting for online bargains are being duped by sophisticated scam websites that convincingly pose as well known UK high street retailers, North Yorkshire trading standards officers have warned.
The fake sites often feature polished images of smiling customers and familiar-looking shopfronts in London and other UK towns and cities.
But behind the professional appearance lies AI generated imagery, overseas sellers and, for many victims, lost money and worthless goods.
Trading standards officers in North Yorkshire have seen a growing number of complaints from residents who believed they were buying from legitimate UK businesses after seeing photographs of supposed physical shops and happy customers.
In reality, the images and website text are generated using artificial intelligence, and the goods are being sold by overseas traders, primarily based in China.
Residents are being urged to carry out simple checks before clicking the ‘buy’ button:
- businesses selling goods online must provide contact details. Check these carefully. If they are missing or cannot be verified, trading standards’ advice is not to proceed with the purchase
- if a shopfront image is shown, check it using online street maps
- read reviews and comments on social media posts carefully
- check when websites and social media accounts were set up. Scam sites are often newly created
- if a business claims to be a limited company, check its details on the government's business and industry page, which will confirm who operates it and when it was set up
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing the environment, Councillor Richard Foster, whose responsibilities include trading standards, said:
“Trading standards officers are now receiving complaints from around 20 residents every month who thought they were buying from genuine UK businesses.
“Instead, many have either lost their money entirely or received poor quality, and potentially unsafe, goods.
“In many cases, people then discover it is virtually impossible to return the items or obtain a refund, leaving them out of pocket with no recourse.”
Councillor Foster added:
“While AI used responsibly has many positive applications, it is increasingly being used to mislead shoppers who might otherwise avoid anonymous overseas sellers and choose reputable UK businesses.
“I would strongly urge people to spend a few minutes confirming who they are buying from and questioning whether a business and its products really are as they are being advertised.”
Anyone who wants to report a website or get advice about faulty goods or non delivery can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, or by webchat on the Citizens Advice website.
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