Cloned websites have been appearing in ChatGPT search results, according to Ask Silver, a scam-checking service. These fraudulent sites mimic legitimate retailers like Russell & Bromley and Dunelm, tricking buyers into making purchases that never arrive.
How the Scam Works
A shopper asks ChatGPT for product recommendations, such as popular bags from Russell & Bromley. The AI provides options with prices and links. Clicking a link leads to a fake site that looks official, but payments go to scammers who also harvest bank details.
Ask Silver reports that the large language model powering ChatGPT may have been "poisoned" with malicious content from cloned webpages. Anna Jones of Ask Silver explains: "Scammers are exploiting the fact that Russell & Bromley went into administration in January 2026 and was absorbed by Next. There is no official Russell & Bromley website, but customers still search for it."
Examples of Fake Sites
Ask Silver identified fraudulent domains such as therussellbromleyofficial, russellandbromleylondon, russellbromleyonlineuk, and russell-and-bromley. These sites offered huge discounts, up to 80%, to lure victims.
Louise Baxter, head of the scams team at National Trading Standards, warns: "Consumers should not assume a website is genuine just because an AI tool recommends it. Criminals adapt quickly to exploit new technology."
How to Protect Yourself
- Check the website address: legitimate UK sites often use .co.uk or .com. Beware of extra words like "official" or "deals."
- Fraudulent sites often require payment by bank transfer, a major red flag.
- Go directly to the retailer's official website rather than following AI-provided links.
A Dunelm spokesperson said: "We encourage customers to only use our official website, www.dunelm.com, or the official app. We work to remove fraudulent sites as soon as we become aware."
Next, which bought Russell & Bromley in January, stated it is "aware of the situation" and working to close down fake sites.
What to Do If Scammed
If you have provided financial details, contact your bank immediately and report the fraud to Report Fraud. ChatGPT has removed the fraudulent websites from its search index and encourages users to report suspicious sites through its policy violation form.
