‘It looked completely legitimate’: Shoppers caught out by fake NZ boutique websites

Sunday, 26 July 2026

More than 30 readers contacted Stuff after its Arrowtown website story, saying they had been caught out by similar fake online boutiques.

The Commerce Commission has identified 87 suspected “ghost stores”, received more than 230 complaints since March last year, had 30 websites taken down, and is investigating another 10.

Many of the fake stores use Facebook ads, “closing down” sales, countdown timers and AI-generated images to convince shoppers they are supporting genuine New Zealand businesses.

When Kyla Williams ordered what was advertised as a premium pullover from a Facebook advertisement for The Johnson Sisters in Hastings, she was looking forward to receiving her piece of quality clothing in the post.

She paid about $99 for what was promoted as a $200 garment made in New Zealand, but the Auckland woman became suspicious after seeing an international transaction fee and references to the Netherlands on her bank statement.

Weeks later, a pullover arrived but she said it bore little resemblance to what had been advertised.

“It said it’s merino but when it arrived it was no closer to even acrylic wool,” she said.

Williams contacted Stuff after she read the story about shoppers caught out by fake Arrowtown retailer, The Hawke Sisters. The website had similar branding to the Johnson Sisters site.

Stuff contacted the company multiple times through its website but never heard back.

She was among more than 30 readers who reached out describing strikingly similar experiences involving websites claiming to be based in Queenstown, Wānaka, Hastings, Wellington and Nelson.

Have you been a victim of an online scam? Email shilpy.arora@stuffdigital.co.nz

The Commerce Commission told Stuff it has now identified about 87 of these so-called “ghost stores”, received more than 230 complaints since March last year, had 30 websites taken down, and is investigating another 10.

Grant McIntosh, the commission’s principal compliance adviser, said complaints about the websites began increasing around the middle of last year.

“We opened a compliance project to really get to the true extent and understand what was happening,” he said.

“As a result of that project, we have identified a number of these websites, had some of them taken down and developed a reasonably quick way of disrupting this conduct.”

The commission said complaints tended to arrive “in bursts” as new websites appeared under different names.

Same products, different towns

Many readers who contacted Stuff said they had initially believed they were supporting small New Zealand businesses before later discovering the websites appeared to be operating from overseas.

Christchurch woman Kathy, who doesn’t want her last name to be used, thought she was supporting a local Queenstown business when she bought what was advertised as a premium merino jumper after seeing a Facebook advertisement for Isabel & Olivia Queenstown.

Kathy said the website featured two “lovely” sisters and claimed the jumper, normally priced at about $300, was on sale for around $100.

It looked like a genuine New Zealand retailer but after paying she noticed the transaction was processed internationally and references to the Netherlands appeared on her bank statement.

Kathy said she contacted Netsafe which advised her to email the retailer.

Although the company replied to her messages, she said the responses seemed designed to delay the shipping - asking for details such as an order number she had never been given.

A parcel eventually arrived a few weeks later but the jumper had little resemblance to what had been advertised.

The jumper was also the wrong size and of “very inferior quality” leaving Kathy convinced she had been scammed despite receiving an item.

“It didn't even have labels on it. It was just scruffy,” she said.

Kathy said the website looked so convincing that she had no reason to doubt it at the time.

“They looked like such lovely sisters from Queenstown,” she said.

“I have learned a big lesson. I was too scared to keep contacting them. I thought, ‘Well, I have got it and that's it.’”

Stuff contacted Isabel & Olivia Queenstown multiple times through the contact page on their website, which is all in French, but didn’t hear back.

‘Everything looked legitimate’

Whangārei resident Lawrence Levine said his wife also believed she was supporting a New Zealand retailer when she ordered two blouses from The Hawke Sisters.

“The website looked completely legitimate,” he said.

“Our Visa worked. Everything looked like a New Zealand company.”

His suspicions were raised only after noticing the payment had been processed through the Netherlands.

The shipping tracking number never worked and the clothing never arrived.

Levine, who has worked in cyber security and banking, said modern scam websites had become so convincing .

“These scammers are so good.”

He says everybody keeps telling consumers to be more careful.

“But when the websites look genuine, the payment goes through Visa and everything appears legitimate, ordinary people naturally think they're supporting a local New Zealand business.”

The store appeared to have been taken down and the webpage displays a message saying “This store is currently unavailable”.

Stuff contacted The Hawke Sisters via the email address listed on their website but there’s been no response.

Why the sites are difficult to stop

McIntosh said many of the operators appeared to be based overseas making traditional enforcement difficult.

“They're operating within New Zealand, offering goods to New Zealand consumers and portraying themselves as New Zealand businesses so they're subject to the Fair Trading Act,” he said.

“But enforcing that against overseas businesses can be quite challenging.”

Instead, the Commerce Commission has focused on disrupting the scams.

When it identifies websites that appear likely to breach the Fair Trading Act, it contacts website hosts and the platforms supporting the stores, requesting they be removed.

“So far we have had 30 of these websites taken down,” McIntosh said.

“We have got another 10 currently on our books that we're looking at.”

The commission estimates around 87 of the websites have been identified during its investigation although some had already disappeared or rebranded before action could be taken.

McIntosh said many of the fake boutiques followed similar patterns.

Consumers were often directed to the websites through Facebook or other social media advertisements.

The sites frequently claimed to be holding “closing down” sales, displayed countdown timers that reset once they expired, advertised steep discounts and featured AI-generated images of supposed owners.

“They're getting better and better. It is difficult to spot them,” he said.

He encouraged shoppers to verify physical business addresses, search for independent reviews rather than relying on testimonials hosted on the retailer's own website and report suspicious websites to the Commerce Commission.

“If consumers report these sites to us, it helps us take action more quickly.”

McIntosh also urged people to report suspicious advertisements to social media platforms and leave reviews on independent review websites to warn other shoppers.