A Sydney woman, who wished to remain anonymous, recently fell victim to an online shopping scam while searching for a tumble dryer. She spotted a $140 dryer advertised on a website that appeared to be affiliated with Aldi. However, the dryer never arrived, and she realized she had been deceived by a fraudulent site. "I feel dumb," the 31-year-old said. "I've always been conscious and cautious about online scams."

The woman, who works part-time at a veterinary clinic, described how she found the dryer after scrolling through Google search results. The website looked legitimate, prompting her to add the item to her cart and pay using Apple Pay to avoid sharing her bank details. She even consulted a co-worker, who confirmed that the site seemed trustworthy. After completing her purchase, she was instructed to download a tracking app. Four days later, she discovered that the website was no longer accessible.

The National Anti-Scam Centre has identified this type of scam as a 'clone' website, which closely mimics the branding of legitimate retailers to mislead consumers. Unlike fake websites that do not represent real brands, clone sites are designed to deceive shoppers into making purchases.

In light of these incidents, the watchdog has urged consumers to verify the legitimacy of websites before making any transactions. Recently, a Google search revealed that half of the sponsored tumble dryer ads at the top of the page were linked to fraudulent sites. These ads were removed after inquiries were made regarding their authenticity.

An Aldi spokesperson acknowledged the existence of websites impersonating the brand and stated that the company is actively working to eliminate them. "We have been in contact with the ACCC and its National Anti-Scam Centre, and we are working with organizations like Google to remove potential avenues that scammers are exploiting," the spokesperson said. They also noted that DoorDash is the only platform authorized to sell Aldi products online in Australia.

Google has emphasized its commitment to protecting users from scams. A spokesperson stated, "Protecting users is our top priority, and we have strict shopping ads policies that govern the types of shopping ads we allow on the platform." They confirmed that ads violating these policies are swiftly removed, and actions are taken against the advertisers responsible.

Online shopping scams have become increasingly prevalent in Australia, with many cases going unreported. Thuy Pham-Henderson, a marketing lecturer at UWA Business School, highlighted that victims often feel embarrassed or believe that nothing can be done, leading to underreporting. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, buying or selling scams, including false billing and online shopping scams, affected approximately 308,000 Australians in 2023-24, a significant increase from 200,000 victims in the previous year.

Catriona Lowe, deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), warned that scams are becoming more sophisticated. "Technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before, and we see scams becoming more sophisticated and harder for people to detect," she said. In the first half of 2025, Scamwatch received over 6,300 reports of financial loss due to shopping scams, making it the most reported scam type. Since 2020, Australians have reported financial losses exceeding $39.8 million from online shopping scams, according to the National Anti-Scam Centre.