Shoppers asked ChatGPT for a popular handbag, and it pointed them to a cloned scam site

Using artificial intelligence to shop can seem helpful, yet a single misleading suggestion can turn an ordinary search for a handbag into a costly fraud, as the Guardian reveals.

Ask Silver, a site that detects scams, told the outlet that ChatGPT frequently points users to imitation retail sites masquerading as real brands, opening a path for scammers.

What happened?

The Guardian reported that researchers in a recent investigation by Ask Silver asked ChatGPT, "What are popular Russell & Bromley purses and bags?" In response, the tool listed products and prices and cited source links, some of which led to bogus Russell & Bromley pages.

Part of what makes the ruse believable is Russell & Bromley's recent history, the Guardian noted.

"It looks like scammers are taking advantage of the fact that Russell & Bromley went into administration in January 2026 and was absorbed by Next – so there is no longer an official Russell & Bromley website, but potential customers will likely still be searching for it," Jones told the publication.

Ask Silver's Anna Jones suggested to the Guardian that the large language model behind ChatGPT may have been "poisoned."  

The service said it had found comparable cloned pages associated with Dunelm as well, and listed purported Russell & Bromley domains such as therussellbromleyofficial, russellandbromleylondon, russellbromleyonlineuk, and russell-and-bromley, per the Guardian.

Why does it matter?

Fraud like this can work because polished AI responses, complete with links, prices, and buying tips, may encourage users to place more confidence in them.

When the retailer page is counterfeit, shoppers can end up paying scammers and giving away bank information under the impression that they are purchasing from a familiar brand.

"Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools for advice and recommendations, but criminals are adapting just as quickly," Louise Baxter, head of the scams team at National Trading Standards, warned the Guardian. "The fact that scam websites can appear in AI-generated results is worrying."

The situation points to the downsides of AI. While it can deliver benefits for consumers and the economy, such as optimizing clean energy systems, it also carries major drawbacks. While energy and water use get a lot of the attention, security issues and scams like these can exploit the technology.

What can I do?

A basic safeguard is to skip retail links in AI responses where possible and instead head to a store's official website or app.

Ask Silver relayed to the Guardian that legitimate U.K. retailer addresses often use .co.uk or .com, whereas scam sites may tack on words like "official" or "deals."

Big reductions and a requirement to pay only by bank transfer are among the warning signs that a site may be fraudulent.

The companies involved said steps are being taken. Next said that it was "aware of the situation" and had been working to get the sites taken down, while Duneim encouraged consumers to use only its official site, per the Guardian.

ChatGPT's spokesperson told the Guardian that the fake sites had been removed from its search index and that users can use its reporting form to flag sites that violate policy.

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