How do you give fake shops a wide reach? That's right, you advertise it on Facebook.

Fake shops for all sorts of products have been around for a long time. These web shops stand out because they offer very high discounts on high-quality products. Anyone who orders something from these online shops usually not only loses the money, but also gives their own credit card details to the operators of this fake shop.

And now Facebook pages have been noticed that link to fake shops in status reports and advertise their products. One of these Facebook pages bears the name of Mon Magic and refers to a fake shop that supposedly sells Makita products.

Screenshot Mimikama.at
Screenshot Mimikama.at

When you open the page, you are greeted with a red banner that advertises discounts of up to 80%. And if you look at the individual items, you will find dumping prices across the board. It's definitely worth making price comparisons here. No retailer can afford to sell off their entire range with price reductions of up to -90%.

The web address is also very noticeable, because in the announced Facebook preview it is still a .de address, but in the end it turns out that you are being redirected to a completely different website.

Screenshot Mimikama.at
Screenshot Mimikama.at

Missing imprint

A reputable dealer should also provide an imprint on the website in order to make the company behind it transparent. If you don't know who you're dealing with, then you shouldn't transfer money. In most cases, not only are the credit card details gone, but also the money.

Address, contact details and possibly a valid VAT identification number for online shops from the EU should be mandatory in order to check whether it is a genuine dealer. However, anyone who doesn't reveal more than the promise of being a great, world-famous online company doesn't deserve trust.

Credit card!

When payment options are limited, alarm bells should ring. Anyone who only accepts credit card payments in advance is very suspicious. And even if various payment options are shown: If you suddenly experience technical difficulties when making the payment and are essentially forced to pay by credit card, you should cancel the payment process immediately.

This trick is often used to obtain bank details, which the fraudsters then use to go on their own shopping spree.

Makita Germany also warns

Makita Germany was also informed a few days ago, so they posted a warning on their Facebook page:

!DANGER !

Dear Makita fans,
in the last few days we have been frequently informed about fake shops that describe themselves as official Makita webshops and offer Makita tools at particularly low prices.
Makita Werkzeug GmbH has NO connection to these websites and we advise against purchasing from such fake online shops. Please inform yourself before purchasing or ask us. To find an official Makita dealer, our dealer search is also available: https://www.makita.de/service/haendlersuche/

Kind regards,
your Makita team

I fell for a fake shop – what can I do?

The consumer advice center advises all victims to take the following measures:

  • Anyone who has already transferred money should immediately ask their bank reverse the payment . This is usually still possible a few hours after an online order. With other payment methods such as direct debit, the payment can be reversed up to eight weeks after collection. You also have to contact your bank about this.
  • All receipts for the online order should be collected and secured. This includes the purchase contract, order confirmation, emails and a screenshot of the offer.
  • Legally, such an approach is fraud. have the printed documents checked by the nearest consumer advice center a criminal complaint with the police. This is also possible online .

Note: Unfortunately, cybercriminals are often difficult to prosecute, especially if they are located abroad. File a criminal complaint anyway! At least this way the fake page can be deleted!


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