ANDEMA and ASESCON: Campaign to warn about Fake Websites

The Association for the Defence of the Brand (ANDEMA) and the Spanish Association of Consumers (ASESCON) have launched a campaign on social networks to warn consumers about the proliferation of cloned or fake websites and the damage they cause to brands and consumers. Both associations have created a ten-step guide with advice on how to avoid being scammed by cybercriminals through illegal sites.

Fake or cloned websites imitate as much as possible – aesthetics, logos, images, etc. – the sites of authentic brands or companies with the aim of deceiving the consumer. “They try to copy authentic websites in order to defraud the user. In addition to selling counterfeit products or scamming by offering fake or non-existent services, they are also dangerous because they are created to steal consumers’ personal or bank details. They are tremendously damaging for brands, not only because of the sale of counterfeit products, but also because of the reputational damage they cause,” says Gerard Guiu, Director of ANDEMA.

In view of the increase in the number of these websites, the two associations have created a ten-step guide with advice for consumers on how to distinguish an illegal website from a genuine one and how to act if they suspect they may be dealing with an online scam. According to Miguel Ángel Ruiz, president of ASESCON, “the aim is to give consumers the tools they need to be sufficiently aware of what could be a fake website, counterfeit goods or cyber-scams.

Check the name of the website or the address, take a look at the privacy policy and payment methods or be wary of offers or prices that are too good to be true, are some of the points included in the decalogue that will be disseminated for several weeks on the networks of both associations.