Reporting a scam store

[Hughgo]

I'm a Shopify store owner, Shopify has for my purposes been a fantastic product. However, as soon as I decided to purchase something from someone else's Shopify store, I was sorely disappointed by a scam website. 

After looking into the site, Strouz, I found that the store owner is operating more than one scam site ripping people off for counterfeit phone cases (Vorus Men, Strouz). In my case, after a product did finally arrive after a month, it's not the same product as advertised, and it wasn't even functional. It arrived unbranded, broken and unable to be used with multiple manufacturing defaults. After attempting to get my money back as per the stores "refund policy", they refused and offered me only a voucher to purchase another case and now will not communicate at all. Upon checking their Facebook, there are only complaints describing the same issues I've had, and they won't allow comments on their Instagram posts for obvious reasons. I tried posting comments on their FB page that were promptly deleted by Strouz.

Why is there no way for us to report scam stores like this?

This kind of store should not be allowed to still be live, scamming more people as is evident by the new reviews on their FB page. Inevitably this kind of deceit only brings down all of the legitimate Shopify operators. Is there some advice someone can give me to have these stores taken down? I don't want more people to have their money stolen and time wasted.   

[Ninagt33]

I just dont understand how these fake stores pass the underwriting stage to get a Merchant Account for card processing!

Shopify is definitely not doing their job when vetting their customers.

Thank you for adding the tip for everyone to do a chargeback. I always buy with PayPal and always get my money back, but I'd like to not go through the frustration of being scammed. 

[WILLIE1947]

Ya no shit scammers

[Jet2020]

I got something 4 Valentine’s Day on Instagram and I’m still waiting and I am so upset about it because I wanted what I thought I was getting I go 2 website and it is gone it shows up Shopify now and looks shut down I’m so mad I can’t believe that 

[Accountability]

I've created a petition that asks Shopify to take greater action on spam prevention. Please take a look here and share: https://www.change.org/shopifytransparency

[Accountability]

I understand your pain. It's why I started this petition, which will go to the desks of the executive team once we reach a decent about of signatures. Please take a look here and share: https://www.change.org/shopifytransparency

[NSRAJU1966]

I am a victim of paying to https://goshopper.online/products/oppo-f19-pro-5g-fluid-black-8gb-ram-128gb-storage?fbclid=IwAR3wZ1u...  through https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/coimbatore/search/?query=used%20mobile%20phones%20for%20sale and they have a commercial web page in Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Mobzia-e-Shop-103430751833486/reviews/?ref=page_internal. So am posting this on 23-04-2021 becoming victim on 22-04-2021. When I was searching used mobile phones in Coimbatore District, Tamilnadu State, India., through my Facebook Id by then I have crossed an advertisement sponsored about limited time offer for oppo mobile and clicked that it redirected to goshopper.online web page and I filled all my details and paid the amount of Rs. 6497/- INR through my debit card and the web page displayed as my order is confirmed and shortly I would be contacted or communicated about my order on 22-04-2021 but till 23-04-2021 no response from them so I tried calling their given Phone number 09411868082 on 23-04-2021 4 pm  but there was a reply from the mobile service provider saying there is no sufficient balance in this number so no incoming or out going facility. Now only I have realized am a victim under this scam  Then started sending recovery complaint to my bank authorities and local Police and National Cyber Crime Dept.

So pls be aware that scammers and fraudsters are everywhere posing them selves very genuine with proper websites and with the support of Facebook and Shopify they have easy way to swindle our money. Will shopify interfere in this kind of issue if shopify itself properly genuine.

[turbosmurfen]

I'm a new user here. I just want to report shattan.se.

Some details:

shattan.SE -  is a Swedish domain, it's translated to Swedish by Google translate. Their so called support send messages through a Swedish name, but write in English only.

There have been other people that paid for watch pro 2.0 on their homepage. and also me, because someone else bought it.

They say their sending the products in 7-14 days - People have waited in up to 1 month. I have soon waited in 3 months.

They say that their support is good, if everything doesn't work like it should they write out their info@shattan.se email. BUT they don't answer on questions or why products is not coming or just ignore you.

People have paid for these watch pro 2.0, I know $49 is maybe not much for people here. But for me it's much. This watch pro 2.0 was bought from my mom to me for my birthday. And even if it's just $49 for some people here. I don't have the economy for things like this. I was so happy to get this watch pro 2.0.

Other people that have got these watch pro 2.0 have got damaged ones, or things that isn't even on the site.

You only get a tracking id which show you will get this watch pro 2.0 between date x and date y. And a progressbar which don't say anything. So I can't track where my watch pro 2.0 is at all. They say they ship directly from their suppler.

People can't send this back because of the tracking stuff. People get scammed and express that they want their money back and the only thing the idiots on this site says is sorry. And nothing more.

[NSRAJU1966]

Scam by GoShopper.online through Mobzia-e-shop Facebook.

[CalB06]

https://www.shopify.com/legal/report-aup-violation

This link seems to do some reporting of scam sites. 

[EyeR]

That link does indeed report scams, and other problems.

Now provision some evidence these 'reports' are acted upon.  As opposed to attempting to fob off people with a templated response that offers only empty assurances.

There seems to be a lot of evidence to suggest that Shopify knowingly leave such internet facing, presumably to keep cashing that cheque.

I can also provision evidence this is a long on-going issue, implying no intent to modify behaviour.

If I was you, buyer or seller, I'd be taking my business elsewhere.

I can help you with that.

Expect this post to vanish when someone who doesn't like what it says reads it.

[GirlRosette]

How about reporting shopify to the FTC or the Attorney General of the state their offices are located in.  Since they are being notified of scam websites, they are ignoring it and knowingly allowing people to get scammed.  That makes them an accessory.   That's like me seeing someone getting robbed and I have every power to stop it and I just stand there and watch. I am just as guilty.    As for the contract, i can GUARANTEE in their ToS it say they have the right to terminate any contract at their sole discretion.  I have yet to find a company who DIDN'T have the power to end a relationship.   

[MichaelW69]

Unfortunately, I recently had this happen, and when I tried to point this out to Shopify, including the abrupt lack of communication that started on the day I was "guaranteed" to get my order. I pointed out all kinds of red flags, including the fact that their "Contact Us" page was lifted directly from a pet food site (The products on this page were not related to pets in any way). Also, the website and the FB page were both about 3 weeks old, and despite supposedly being a US company, were curated from like Pakistan.

All Shopify would say is that I needed to wait 4 weeks after shipping. they ignored the fact that it had been "shipping" for 3 weeks at that point, and the company stopped responding to emails the day that my promised delivery came and went. Neither FB nor Shopify care at all about consumer safety, and they also have realized that they don't need to care about their brand, so neither one is going to do anything. And I'm sorry, but knowing how many Shopify sites are scams (A BBC investigation found about 21% were dangerous for consumers in one way or another), I can no longer use Shopify. I'd recommend another platform for your store.

[WmH2]

Since Shopify seems to be more concerned with helping thieves out, when I started down this thread, I had showed them how the email address on their "contact us" was invalid.  They refused to reach out to the merchant to let them know that the email address was wrong and that they had customers trying to reach them.  Shopify support won't do anything after 4 weeks... they just lie and lie and lie.  I have kept my emails and communications with this shameful company.

Now when I want to order something from a Shopify hosted company, I now contact them ahead of time. If no response, I don't order.

You might also want to report the company to Facebook since they have a page and ads.

[epkfinds]

Report them for fraud at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/assistant

[Jamesbtex]

None of these types of services I have found, have any easy to contact support options because that would mean hiring people a $$ to their business. Fraudsters are able to get away with this because there is hardly ever any background checks performed (again costing money). The most common response if you do get one is to refer you to a government website (who also won't help). This is why fraudsters are exploding, they know that the chances of getting caught are slim to none!! 

I ordered a US Rechargeable electric tree branch trimmer for $70. Everything about the listing look legit including feedback. So what was delivered after waiting weeks??

A pair of $5 manual hand clippers and a Europe to US AC Adapter! It was almost like the fraudster wasn't content with just taking my money, they had to make a joke out of it and send me a pair of the cheapest cutters and a AC adapter that changed the wide round Europe plugs to the standard US two prong plugs. 

I reported it to my credit card company and they refunded me the charge but ulimately they will raise their interest rates to customers to pay for all the rip offs there are out there now.

And the services offering platforms to these crooks are only interested in making money!

They won't follow up on it. Just as quickly as that fraudsters website was taken down, they just created a new name and opened up a new store listing with exactly the same products being offered! A larger, growing percentage of the population doesn't care about honesty and honor anymore! These days you have to be extremely careful with your purchases.

[blindeager]

It's been 2 years since this was put up and I cannot find a way to report fraudulent companies.  I was scammed by TWO DIFFERENT Shopify websites.  How is this still happening?  How can we report these websites?!  I need help or I'm gonna have to stop shopping with ANY websites powered by Shopify if something cannot be done and just shop Amazon from now on since they actually help their people.  I ordered three different orders and NONE of them showed up.  Shopify should have some responsibility in this!

[WmH2]

So, were you not able to do it from this website?
https://www.shopify.com/legal/report-aup-violation

[Thecrown1001]

Is this topic still open? Because there is an other scam webshop: https://urbanvehicles.nl/. Says he delivers e-bikes, but he only takes peoples money and never delivers any of his products. The positive reviews on trustpilot are from fake accounts. And the people who tell the truth on Trustpilot he reports there reviews. The owner Tonny Verweij of this webshop is a known Dutch scammer, he has several webshops and companies before: scubo.nl (see trustpilot), Aquasub (see trustpilot), Stichting Qenzi etc. With all of these companies he rips off people. So hopefully Shopify will shut his new webshop urban vehicles Amsterdam down.

[Thecrown1001]

Update he is making a new webshop ass well: bakfietsen.nl

[MichaelW69]

That's it. Your last bit. I stay away if I see the store is thru Shopify because I don't know if I'm going to get ripped off. And there was a study done that found something like 40% of Shopify stores are scams because it's so easy to set up. You are more than welcome to forward my statement on to support, since this is affecting you , too.