Fraudsters cloned a defunct luxury brand’s website—and AI shopping assistants are cheerfully recommending it as ‘official.’ Here’s how the scam works and how to avoid it.
Be careful! ChatGPT is accidentally steering people toward scam shopping sites that look real but exist only to grab card numbers, which is a worrying new trend in how we shop online.
How the process works: Someone asks ChatGPT for Russell & Bromley bags, trusting it the way they’d trust a knowledgeable friend. Instead, the assistant points them to a fake “official” site, created because the real brand went under and left a gap that scammers rushed to fill. That small detail — a defunct brand and a believable URL — shows how normal shoppers get pulled into scams without doing anything obviously reckless.
Behind the scenes, scammers are quietly reshaping the web to fit this new reality. They clone brands, spin up slick sites, and tune them for search so that both humans and AI models read them as legitimate.
Futurism also warns that tools like ChatGPT are inherently vulnerable because they’re built on massive amounts of public data, not on live fraud detection. They don’t instinctively know which store is real; they just see patterns that look plausible. And because chat feels personal and authoritative, people stop double‑checking links, creating the perfect environment for scams to flourish.
And as usual, scammers are adapting faster than most users. They’re not only building fake storefronts; they’re using AI to mass‑produce polished phishing emails, fake customer support chats, fake subscription pages and billing notices, and professional‑looking product pages that make each scam feel strangely normal. The trend is toward fraud that looks less like a sketchy outlier and more like any other modern brand interaction.
| Scam type | How it uses AI | What it steals | Quick defense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fake storefronts for known or defunct brands | Uses AI‑written copy, images, and reviews to build convincing “official” shopping sites that chatbots and search can mistake for real | Credit card numbers, billing address, phone, and login details at checkout | Independently search the brand, confirm the official domain, and avoid buying from “new official” sites surfaced only via AI assistants |
| Phishing emails and fake customer support | Generates polished emails, chats, and scripts that mimic banks, retailers, or AI platforms with fewer typos and more convincing language | Login credentials, card details, SMS codes, and personal info shared during “verification” | Never click payment or login links in unsolicited messages; go directly to the site or app you already use and contact support there |
| Fake AI subscription and billing pages | Clones login and payment pages for ChatGPT or other AI tools, often linked from fake renewal emails or ads | Card data, account logins, and sometimes full identity details | Access subscriptions only through the app or official website; ignore and delete renewal or suspension emails that demand urgent payment |
| Malicious browser extensions and AI “boosters” | Promotes AI‑related extensions that promise better answers or free premium access but silently log keystrokes and web sessions | Passwords, payment details, browsing data | Install extensions only from trusted stores, check reviews carefully, and avoid anything that asks for broad permissions it doesn’t clearly need |
| AI‑written fake product reviews and deal pages | Floods marketplaces and coupon sites with realistic‑sounding reviews and “limited‑time” offers to push low‑quality or non‑existent goods | Money from purchases, plus stored card information on dodgy checkout pages | Cross‑check reviews across multiple sites, be skeptical of products with only ultra‑glowing recent reviews, and favor well‑known sellers or platforms |
Advice
Treat AI links as leads, not gospel; be suspicious of “new official” sites for struggling or shuttered brands; and watch your statements for tiny test charges before a bigger hit lands. These aren’t abstract security tips — they’re practical habits that could be the thin line between a normal purchase and a drained account.
AI‑driven shopping is a trending target for scams — and paying attention to them now is the best way to avoid becoming part of the next one.
