Fraudsters are creating cloned retail websites that are appearing in ChatGPT search results, raising fresh concerns over how AI shopping tools could be exploited to target consumers.

Scam-checking service Ask Silver said it had identified fake websites impersonating Russell & Bromley and Dunelm being surfaced as sources when users asked ChatGPT for shopping recommendations.

In one example, Ask Silver asked the AI tool for popular Russell & Bromley purses and bags. The response included product suggestions, prices and links to sources, some of which directed users to fraudulent websites designed to look like the footwear retailer’s official site.

The sites were found to be offering heavy discounts of up to 80 per cent, a common warning sign in online shopping fraud. Ask Silver said examples of fake domain names included therussellbromleyofficial, russellandbromleylondon, russellbromleyonlineuk and russell-and-bromley.

The issue comes after Russell & Bromley entered administration earlier this year and was bought by Next. The footwear retailer’s original business ceased trading following the appointment of administrators on 21 January 2026, according to Next customer information.

Ask Silver’s Anna Jones said scammers may be exploiting confusion around the brand’s collapse and transfer to Next, with shoppers still likely to search for Russell & Bromley directly online.

She added that it was possible the large language model behind ChatGPT had been “poisoned”, where malicious content is inserted into information that AI systems may draw from, often through cloned web pages created by fraudsters.

National Trading Standards head of scams Louise Baxter warned shoppers not to assume a website is genuine simply because it has appeared in an AI-generated answer.

“Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools for advice and recommendations, but criminals are adapting just as quickly,” she said.

“The fact that scam websites can appear in AI-generated results is worrying, and is a stark reminder that fraudsters will exploit any new technology that helps them reach potential victims.”

Dunelm said customers should only use its official website or app, adding that whenever it becomes aware of a fraudulent site it works to have it removed as quickly as possible.

Next, which acquired Russell & Bromley in January, said it was aware of the situation and had been working to have the fake sites taken down. OpenAI said it had removed the fraudulent websites from its search index.

The case is part of a growing challenge for retailers as consumer discovery shifts from traditional search engines to AI assistants. While shoppers may trust AI-generated recommendations, cloned websites can mirror a retailer’s branding, imagery and language closely enough to appear legitimate.

Report Fraud advises consumers to avoid suspicious links and go separately to a retailer’s website if they are unsure whether a link is genuine. It says fake shopping websites are often designed to steal both money and personal details.

Citizens Advice also recommends reporting scams to Report Fraud, which can pass cases to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and provide victims with a crime reference number.