BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — As Black Friday and the holiday shopping season approach, a new type of online scam is targeting bargain hunters with sophisticated fake websites that use artificial intelligence to appear legitimate.
These fraudulent sites feature polished designs, steep discounts on popular brand names, and dozens of five-star reviews.
For one website named White Mountain Supply, shoppers we spoke with said they have only received non-functional tracking numbers.
"Scammers are using AI to their advantage," said Western New York Better Business Bureau Communications Director Katarina Schmieder. "It's not very difficult for them to create a fake website and steal logos from official retailers."
WATCH: Fake AI shopping sites target Black Friday shoppers with bogus deals
The fake websites often mimic legitimate retailers with professional-looking Facebook pages, glowing customer reviews, and high-quality product photos.
However, closer inspection reveals several warning signs, including duplicate reviews, recently created social media accounts, and unusually large discounts.
"What is really alarming is, it shows the price, like I'm looking at a jacket, you know $144, they've slashed that out and put more than half off," said Michelle Fregelette.
Fregelette stressed the importance of shopping local to avoid online scams.
Local retailers like Gear for Adventure in Hamburg say they're not only competing with other big-box retailers, but now online stores as well.
"It just makes it really easy to give people the best advice when they know you, you know them, and you know the products," Fregelette said.
Robert Duncan, VP of Product Strategy at Netcraft, said, "A few years ago, fake emails and sites often had broken English, fuzzy graphics, or poor layout. Today, AI tools have almost inverted this: if the email is too well written, that’s now almost a new scam signal."
Netcraft says they are a trusted cybersecurity leader in brand protection and digital risk management, relied on by CISOs, anti-fraud teams, and security professionals worldwide.
The Better Business Bureau recommends several steps to protect yourself when shopping online:
- Check how long the website and social media pages have been active
- Look for a physical address and legitimate contact information
- Watch for reviews that appear copy-and-pasted or identical
- Use a credit card instead of a debit card for purchases
"That's where you need to look really closely when you're doing your online shopping," Schmieder said.
With the holiday shopping season in full swing, experts emphasize the importance of being cautious when deals seem too good to be true.
7 News has reached out to White Mountain Supply multiple times; however, they have not responded.
"Trust your gut and pause five seconds to think. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is," Duncan explained.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
