Scam shopping websites closed down

Scotland Yard have closed over 1200 scam internet sites that target Christmas shoppers in an unprecedented internet bust.

Experts from Scotland Yard’s e-crime department targeted 100s of web sites that were being run by Asia fraudsters using British domain names. The plan was to make UK online shoppers think that there were dealing with legitimate UK companies. The sites were offering discounted designer items such as jewellery and clothing, police stated that many customers either received forgeries or in most cases received nothing for their money.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said 1,219 scam websites were closed by detectives working under the code name Operation Papworth.

It’s believed that the websites were offering Ugg boots, jewellery from Tiffany & Co and GHD hair straighteners. Experts from Scotland Yard’s e-crime department co-ordinated Operation Papworth, with the help of Nominet, Nominet is the Internet registry for .UK domain names.

The investigation is still ongoing, no arrest have been made at this time.

http://www.met.police.uk/(Scotland Yard)