The Korea Consumer Agency noted on the 9th that there have been reports of damage related to overseas shopping malls impersonating well-known clothing brands such as Carhartt, Ralph Lauren, and Vape.
The Consumer Agency confirmed 46 cases of consumer damage due to impersonation of well-known clothing brands in collaboration with the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center, and blocked domestic access to fraudulent sites to prevent further damage. An analysis of the 46 consultations revealed that over 90% of consumers accessed the overseas shopping mall through Instagram advertisements.
These sites created internet addresses (URLs) similar to the official websites of brands and misused the official brand names, logos, and main screen layouts to induce consumer purchases. After selling, they either did not cancel orders or disappeared without delivering products, exacerbating the damage.
Among the 45 confirmed cases of fraud, the age breakdown showed 1 case in the teens, 31 cases in the 20s, 10 cases in the 30s, and 3 cases in the 40s. The Consumer Agency analyzed that the 20s had the highest number of consumer damage cases, as they are the main consumer group for fashion brands and the generation that most actively uses social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram.
The Consumer Agency advised consumers to be cautious of product advertisements on Instagram and YouTube that feature excessively low prices. It also emphasized the need to verify whether the shopping malls are operated directly by the brands or by official distributors through search portals.