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BBB is warning consumers about the increasing prevalence of online impostor websites fraudulently claiming to sell products from luxury and high-end brands. These scams are designed to deceive shoppers into purchasing counterfeit goods or paying for items they’ll never receive.
One recent example involves fraudulent websites impersonating the well-established brand Benchmade Knife Company, a premium knife manufacturer based in Oregon City, Oregon. The websites—benchmadesales.com, knife-benchmade.com, and benchmade-us.com— are convincing looking clones but are not associated with the official Benchmade Knife Company. Consumers allege the knives they purchased on these websites are counterfeit, reporting significant financial losses – they also gave their personal information, including payment details, names, and addresses.
Additionally, BBB has confirmed that many impostors are using social media ads to amplify their look-alike websites and lure potential victims.
“Impostor websites have become a growing threat, particularly for luxury and high-end brands where consumers may be enticed by steep discounts or hard-to-find items,” said Dené Joubert, Investigations Manager for BBB Great West + Pacific. “These websites are intentionally designed to appear legitimate, but consumers should take extra caution before making any online purchases, especially when the pricing is lower than usual.”
To stay safe, consumers should follow best practices for online shopping:
- Verify the website: Double-check the URL to ensure it matches the brand’s official site. Be wary of slight misspellings, added words, or unfamiliar domains.
- Look for red flags: Suspiciously low prices, urgency to buy, or incomplete contact information are major warning signs.
- Research before you buy: Use trusted sources like BBB.org to search for reviews or complaints about the website.
If you suspect fraud or believe you’ve seen or fallen victim to an impostor website, report your experience to the BBB Scam Tracker. Your report can help others stay safe and alert businesses and law enforcement to emerging scams.
BBB Great West + Pacific contributed this warning.