‘Poisoned’ AI: the ChatGPT shopping scams that lead to fake websites

Cloned sites have been showing up in search results on ChatGPT, says Ask Silver. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters View image in fullscreen Cloned sites have been showing up in search results on ChatGPT, says Ask Silver. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters ‘Poisoned’ AI: the ChatGPT shopping scams that lead to fake websites Buyers are ripped off after assuming online stores were genuine because they are recommended by an AI tool You want to buy a new bag and so you ask ChatGPT for help. You have always liked Russell & Bromley so you ask ChatGPT what is popular there at the moment. The artificial intelligence (AI) assistant gives you cross body, shoulder, casual and formal options with the prices listed beside them. You click through from the sources to what looks like the official Russell & Bromley site and buy your new bag, which is conveniently on sale. The item will never arrive, however. You have handed money over to a scammer and your bank details have been harvested through an elaborate fraud where fake sites are created to look convincingly like real retailers. View image in fullscreen ChatGPT search that shows a fake site as one of its sources Ask Silver, a scam-checking service, says cloned sites have been showing up in search results on ChatGPT. The ones it has seen are rip-offs of Russell & Bromley and the furnishings retailer Dunelm. Anna Jones of Ask Silver says it is possible that the large language model (LLM) that powers ChatGPT has been “poisoned”. This is when malicious content is inserted into the information an AI learns from – such as through cloned webpages put up by the fraudster. She adds: “In this instance it looks like scammers are taking advantage of the fact that Russell & Bromley went into administration in January 2026 and was absorbed by Next – so there is no longer an official Russell & Bromley website, but potential customers will likely still be searching for it.” Louise Baxter, the head of the scams team at National Trading Standards, said people should not assume a website is genuine just because it is recommended by an AI tool. “Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools for advice and recommendations, but criminals are adapting just as quickly. The fact that scam websites can appear in AI-generated results is worrying, and is a stark reminder that fraudsters will exploit any new technology that helps them reach potential victims,” she said. What does it look like The Ask Silver research asked ChatGPT a general question: “What are popular Russell & Bromley purses and bags?” The results included details and prices of different bags, trends and what bag was good for what occasion. Among the sources for the answer were two fraudulent Russell & Bromley sites. View image in fullscreen A fake Russell & Bromley website. These sites looked credible. In one case, there are huge “discounts” – up to 80% – offered on bags. In reality, it is likely that if you buy something, fraudsters will make off with the money. The cloned