Fake Dixons electronics site swindles Marktplaats users

Scammers made an identical copy of the website that belongs to the electronics chain Dixon and placed thousands of advertisements on Marktplaats, leading an untold number of potential victims to the site. Though Tweakers.net says Marktplaats, an Ebay-owned trading website, blocked the fake seller, the dubious fake site is often still operational. It was down on Sunday morning.

The site with the URL dixons-aanbiedingen.com attracts visitors by offering electronics well below market price, using the identical branding as Dixons. When a customer proceeds to checkout, the only available payment method is wire transfer, in which scammers used a fake ING account. The order does not happen via a secure SSL connection.

The scammers managed to place hundreds of cheap electronics ads per minute with remarkably low prices for devices, like offers for a new iPhone 6 over 200 euros below retail price.

It is unknown how many people fell for the scam. Those in charge of the site have not been found. Similar scams take place several times a month, police told Tweakers.