<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australians have been warned about shopping at alleged "ghost stores", websites which masquerade as local businesses.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ACCC alleges four ghost store operators are harming consumers by presenting themselves as local Australian businesses which are facing imminent closing and claiming to sell high-quality clothing and footwear products.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead, the consumer watchdog claims, the stores are based overseas, not closing down anytime soon, and are drop-shipping low-quality products.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/diddy-update-sean-combs-found-not-guilty-on-most-serious-charges-in-sex-trafficking-trial/05f4fcdf-86cf-4d76-91d1-3090cb7da44c" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Diddy supporters cover themselves in baby oil after bombshell court verdict</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The stores in question are everly-melbourne.com, willowandgrade-adelaide.com, sophie-claire.com, and doublebayboutique.com.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>9news.com.au has contacted each of the outlets regarding the allegations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are warning Australians about the risks of engaging with these four websites specifically, which we allege are not based in Melbourne, Adelaide or Double Bay, nor are they imminently closing down," ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/accc-warns-against-ghost-stores-online-businesses-alleged-masquerading-as-local/395bed8b-f5e7-4a29-8c3c-30c413684f2e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We further allege that the operators of these websites are supplying products which are not of the advertised quality."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/gst-increase-lead-accountancy-body-calls-for-change/e1d69873-3a9c-4bb0-933a-e77a66fd5e53" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The 'grown-up conversation' we need to have about the GST</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ACCC's warning follows an increased number of consumer reports to the watchdog in recent months about online ghost stores.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since the start of 2025, the ACCC estimated it had received at least 360 reports about 60 online retailers, though media reports suggested many more may be in operation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There have also been complaints about alleged ghost stores refusing to provide refunds or not responding to complaints.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ghost stores have been known to target consumers through social media ads and also tend to close and rebrand under new names, often using different Australian suburbs, towns or cities in their names to appear "local".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/new-two-dollar-coin-to-commemorate-torres-strait-islander-flag/b7e064d6-dbbd-45fe-b353-b38a2bb1272c" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>New $2 coin to commemorate Torres Strait Islander flag</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We urge all Australians to think twice before clicking on ads they see on social media which claim to be from a boutique business based in a local town or city," Lowe said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Often ghost stores will share an emotional story on their social media or website that they are a small, locally operated business, needing to close for financial reasons.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They will claim they are having a 'closing down sale' as a result, with all stock heavily discounted and available on a very limited basis."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ghost stores sometimes use a name that is similar to that of a genuine local boutique, leading to competitive and reputational harm for those businesses.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ACCC said ghost stores used targeted paid advertisements on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, and often appeared to use the Shopify e-commerce platform to host and operate their webstores.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have written to both Meta Platforms (as the owner of Facebook and Instagram) and Shopify to request they scrutinise and take appropriate action against the operators of ghost stores," Lowe said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We want to increase public awareness of these dishonest businesses so that Australians know how to spot them and can avoid being deceived into buying an inferior product."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Find out more about how to identify a suspected ghost store at the </span><a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/consumers-warned-about-ghost-stores-imitating-australian-businesses" rel="" target="_blank" title="ACCC website"><span>ACCC website</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2021/09/08/11/39/scams-in-australia-hackers-online-email-texts-targeting-innocent-people-in-pictures"><img alt="Online shoppers are being urged to be extra vigilant of cyber criminals ramping up fake text messages to scam unwitting Australian victims ahead of one of the biggest global retail sales events of the year." sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/CAXx0qW1yqwOQVK5WymsNoyqyxk=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdf60e9b5-9489-4e1a-9a88-1335dddbf78b" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/CAXx0qW1yqwOQVK5WymsNoyqyxk=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdf60e9b5-9489-4e1a-9a88-1335dddbf78b 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/t-MLdIbXoLSFSjhKoSrmKKpHtM8=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdf60e9b5-9489-4e1a-9a88-1335dddbf78b 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Can you pick 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