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UPDATE: I have since spoken with a representative of Overstock.com and learned that Overstock.com does not promote, sponsor or endorse this web site or any fraudulent web site or business practice.  Overstock.com has quickly notified Google of the 7starspecials.com web site and asked that the ad be removed from the list of advertisements displayed on Overstock.com.  Overstock.com is harmless here and did not know that Google would display this ad on Overstock.com until it had already displayed.

I appreciate Overstock.com’s responsible and prompt response to my blog post and that it’s taking this issue seriously.

Original Post:

Overstock.com is promoting a fraudulent website based in China, 7starspecials.com, with replica/fake products on their home page. This advertising banner is provided by via Google Ads.

Today I visited the overstock.com website and saw that an advertising banner on their home page was promoting designer handbags for 80% OFF. The promoted price of a Louis Vuitton handbag for only $140 (picture below) caught my attention, as just 3 weeks ago I was in a Louis Vuitton shop in Luxembourg (Europe) looking at a handbag, and trust me, it wasn’t that cheap. So I had a better look at this advert and this is what I found out:

• 7starsepcials.com is selling fake/replica designer products as real (no visible statement on their site that these products are fake/replicas apart on FAQ page)
• 7starspecials.com is using a fake icon of McAfee secure used on reputable stores arguably only to deceive their visitors that this site is safe

The question to ask is how could the Google ad team let this ad go live, as we all know they check ads vigorously? And what about overstock.com reputation?

How to protect yourself from fraudulent websites:

• use common sense – don’t buy anything from shoddy looking websites at knock off prices
• always check for trust and security logos, and click on them to verify if not a well known store, or if it is a store you have never purchased from before
• when giving your card details; check ssl, hacker safe and any other certificates to reassure yourself

screenshot of an ad displayed on overstock.com

actual screen shot of overstock.com with the ad

and the site 7startspecials.com selling fake luxury products with a fake icon from McAfee (not click able)

real McAfee certificate from petco.com