CloudSEK has uncovered a wide network of fake shopping websites created to steal payment information and personal details from online shoppers. These sites are designed with festive themes and are promoted through aggressive social media campaigns. Investigators say the level of coordination shows a large scale phishing system rather than isolated fraud attempts.
A senior CloudSEK analyst said, “This is not the work of scattered actors. This is a full ecosystem timed to the busiest shopping weeks of the year.”
A mass produced model for holiday fraud
The investigation found that the operation works like an industrial manufacturing system for phishing websites. Two large clusters form the core of this network.
Cluster One includes more than seven hundred and fifty connected sites, with over one hundred and seventy domains designed to look like Amazon. These pages use countdown clocks, fake purchase alerts and repeated holiday graphics to push users quickly into the checkout process. Many of these domains load resources that have been linked to earlier phishing and malware attacks.
Cluster Two is even larger, with more than one thousand domains under the dot shop extension. These websites imitate Black Friday and Cyber Monday themes and copy the checkout style of global brands such as Samsung, Jo Malone and Ray Ban. CloudSEK says the identical layouts suggest the use of a ready made phishing kit that can generate multiple look alike sites at speed.
Both clusters are designed to quietly redirect online payments through attacker controlled gateways, allowing criminals to collect card data and personal information without creating immediate suspicion.
How scammers reach shoppers first
The network appears to be built for fast reach. CloudSEK found that many of the sites are promoted through short lived social media ads on platforms where moderation slows during peak shopping periods. Some sites also appear in search results through search engine manipulation, increasing the chance that shoppers click the fake page before finding the genuine one.
Investigators also noted rising circulation in WhatsApp and Telegram groups, where messages and links spread rapidly.
CloudSEK estimates that even with a small conversion rate of three to eight percent, each fraudulent site can earn between two thousand and twelve thousand dollars before it is taken down. Many remain online for several days. The flood of real holiday discounts helps these scams blend in, making it easy for shoppers to make mistakes.
Warning signs and calls for stronger action
The report lists several red flags that consumers should look for during the holiday shopping rush. These include very high discount claims of seventy to ninety percent, misleading trust badges, incorrect spellings in website addresses and checkout pages that divert to unfamiliar domains. Many fake stores also show repeated design templates and lack verified customer support details.
CloudSEK has asked regulators and cyber agencies to step up monitoring of high risk hosting services, work with advertising platforms to block scam campaigns before they go live and increase public awareness. The organisation has also shared detailed indicators with authorities to speed up the removal of phishing clusters.
For now, researchers say the safest option for shoppers is to buy only through official websites and trusted retail apps, especially as online shopping reaches its seasonal peak.
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