A trove of data examined by experts indicates the operation is highly organised, technically savvy – and ongoing.
Operating on an industrial scale, programmers have created tens of thousands of fake web shops offering discounted goods from Dior, Nike, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Versace and Prada, as well as many other premium brands.
Published in multiple languages from English to German, French, Spanish, Swedish and Italian, the websites appear to have been set up to lure shoppers into parting with money and sensitive personal data.
However, the sites have no connection to the brands they claim to sell and in most cases consumers who spoke about their experience said they received no items.
It’s a shame that nowadays everything “needs” a phone number. I just put in a proper prefix code and then all zeroes as a number if some company forces me to. That works for some of the websites. Some stores even print that on a shipping label. So it might supposedly be there for a reason. But I’ve never heard this helps if a parcel gets lost or something. They won’t call anyways and the real reason is they can store it in some database and depending on the exact business do all kinds of other stuff with it.
I usually look up the number for something like an ftc or fbi tipline if a website absolutely forces putting in personal info.
Ain’t nothing but a phone number to me, and I can find all unseemly manner of use for it.