Retailer Kathmandu victim of imposter scam shop on Facebook, says problem rampant online

Kathmandu said the scam site on social media was reported. Photo / Supplied

Kiwi clothing and outdoor brand Kathmandu has been the target of an online imposter shop and it says the scams are getting more frequent.

Kathmandu owner KMD Brands told the Herald customers had been in touch to alert it about the scam site.

“We’re grateful when people take the time to let us know, as it helps us act quickly,” a KMD spokesperson said today.

“Like many well-known brands, we’ve seen an increase in the number of fake websites impersonating our brand, often promoted through misleading ads.”

Asked what contact KMD had with Facebook or the platform’s owner Meta, KMD said it reported scam sites and misleading ads to the social media company both directly and through Red Points, a digital brand protection platform used to find and remove counterfeit websites, listings, and impersonators.

“We encourage our customers to always shop via our official website or our verified social media pages.

“If someone believes they’ve entered personal or payment information on a scam site, they should contact their bank or payment provider immediately.”

Asked what Meta should do about scam pages, KMD said: “We’re committed to working with platforms like Meta to have scam pages removed as quickly as possible and appreciate their co-operation as we continue to report fraudulent content”.

The company said Red Points had a reporting and takedown process in place.

Kathmandu customers and a Reddit user raised suspicions about what turned out to be a scam e-shop. Photo / DeerSimilar8170 Reddit

“We also report fake sites to domain registries. In this case, the site was reported to both Red Points and the domain registry on April 11. We continue to act swiftly whenever new sites appear.”

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy told the Herald banks often felt the brunt of frustrations about scammer activity in New Zealand.

“While the banks should be definitely doing more to protect their customers, many scams could be prevented if companies like Meta were doing more to prevent scam ads from running on their platforms,” Duffy said today.

“At the very least, platforms should be acting promptly to respond to reports of scam ads. Unfortunately, we hear all too often that complaints languish in complaint queues and are not actioned in a timely manner - creating the potential for more victims.”

Duffy added: “Platforms profiting from scammer activity through ad revenue should be liable to reimburse people who become victims through their lack of oversight”.

Scamspotting

According to cybersecurity firm Norton, fake e-shops may feature:

• Unrealistic discounts;
• Contrived reviews and endorsements;
• Fake company information and limited or unbelievable “about us” or “contact us” sections;
• Unusual payment methods including wire transfers, bitcoin, or gift cards;
• Claims to never run out of stock and have a vast variety of products for sale.