SINGAPORE: E-commerce giants Shopee and Lazada have removed at least 20 fake online storefronts impersonating reputable retailers on their platforms, ahead of the 11.11 shopping sale on Wednesday (Nov 11).
Both companies confirmed that they have taken enforcement measures against the counterfeit stores, reported Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Shopee spokesperson said that the reported listings have been removed and the fake seller accounts banned.
“Listings or shops that infringe intellectual property rights are prohibited on our platform,” the spokesperson said.
Shopee uses both manual and automated measures to detect and remove non-compliant listings, and is constantly refining its tools to identify storefronts that mimic established brand names and their logos, the spokesperson added.
According to Zaobao, one of the stores used a green logo that is very similar to that of pharmaceutical chain Watsons, thereby misleading consumers into thinking that it is the official Watsons store.
“Shopee is committed to protecting consumers and maintaining a trusted environment for online commerce,” said the company.
“We take reports seriously and encourage users to report suspicious listings through the in-app ‘Report this Product’ function, so that our team can take appropriate action. We remain committed to strengthening our enforcement processes and supporting a safe, reliable shopping experience for all users.”
A Lazada spokesperson told ST that the company takes reports of potentially fraudulent or misleading online stores seriously, and has tightened measures ahead of 11.11 to ensure “a safe and trusted shopping experience for our customers”.
The measures, including taking down stores identified to have violated Lazada’s policies, have resulted in a decline in suspicious brand impersonation stores, the spokesperson added.
“We have established seller onboarding and verification processes, alongside ongoing monitoring for suspicious seller activity or listings that may violate our platform policies,” Lazada said.
“Where potential violations are identified, we review the relevant seller accounts and listings and take action... which may include removing listings or suspending or banning sellers.”
The statement added: “We encourage customers to report any suspicious activity or concerns. We will continue to strengthen our safeguards to protect customers and brand partners, and uphold trust in our marketplace.”
The move by both platforms follows a two-week investigation by Zaobao, which uncovered at least 10 fraudulent stores on each platform.
According to the Chinese daily, the fake sellers misappropriated the names, logos, and signature brand colours of “prominent department stores, malls, supermarkets, and drugstores across Singapore and Malaysia”.
Some fraudulently labelled themselves “official stores” to lure shoppers with branded cosmetics, perfumes, and skincare products discounted to under 20% of their original retail prices.
To fabricate legitimacy, the storefronts displayed numerous five-star reviews.
However, a closer look by a Zaobao reporter revealed recurring review-farming tactics: identical user profiles repeatedly posted five-star ratings across various products within the same shop, often accompanied by photos featuring near-identical backgrounds and product arrangements.
Both Shopee and Lazada have urged consumers to remain vigilant and report suspicious listings directly through their apps.
Originally started at China’s Nanjing University in 1993 as “Bachelor’s Day” – a counter to Valentine’s Day when single people gathered, partied and bought gifts for themselves – Singles’ Day has transformed into what is now known as “the world’s largest online shopping festival”.
Now spanning several weeks of massive retail discounts, the event outscales both Black Friday and Cyber Monday in global sales, according to global financial website Investopedia.
However, experts also said that shoppers should be wary of fake websites that spoof recognised or popular sites during such popular shopping festivals.
Consumers Association of Singapore president Melvin Yong previously told ST: “Beware of fake websites by carefully checking URLs for misspellings, odd characters or suspicious domain extensions, as scammers often create deceptive sites resembling legitimate ones.”
In releasing the mid-year scam statistics on Aug 26, the Singapore Police Force said $410.6 million was lost in scams in the first six months of 2026, compared with $500.2 million during the same period in 2025.
They also warned that scams remain the dominant crime type in Singapore. - The Straits Times/ANN
