Cybercriminals deploy 120,000 fake shops and phishing scams

Cybercriminals are employing increasingly sophisticated methods to defraud consumers through fake online shops and phishing attacks. An investigation by IT entrepreneur Benedikt Scheungraber revealed a massive network of approximately 120,000 fraudulent domains, many using the “.shop” extension. These sites mimic legitimate retailers by copying logos, images, and text to deceive customers. Such operations are believed to be professionally organized, with nearly 100,000 of the identified fraudulent sites remaining active. These fake shops not only prevent customers from receiving goods but also serve to steal payment data and credit card information.

In a separate but related trend, phishing campaigns are targeting banking customers by impersonating Sparkassen. Fraudsters use deceptive messages regarding urgent account updates or false refunds—such as a specific amount of 106.99 euros—to pressure victims into clicking malicious links. These attacks aim to harvest sensitive login credentials and personal data. Experts warn that these schemes often use artificial time pressure to bypass a user's typical security checks. Authorities emphasize that legitimate banks will never request sensitive access data via email links and advise immediate contact with financial institutions if data has been compromised.