Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

The Guardian - AU

National

Catie McLeod Consumer affairs reporter

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

Meta Shopify ACCC Catriona Lowe Australia e-commerce Guardian Australia

Person shopping on computer with credit card — The sites, which are based overseas, include those drop-shipping poor quality clothing and counterfeit labels, while others take customers’ money and fail to deliver anything at all. Photograph: Peter Alvey/Alamy

Australia’s consumer regulator has put Shopify and Meta on notice, urging the e-commerce and social media platforms to take action against online “ghost stores” pretending to be local businesses in order to dupe shoppers.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Thursday issued a public warning about ghost stores and announced it had written to Shopify and Meta after an investigation by Guardian Australia identified more than 140 of these sites.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

Six men on how they plan to stand up against rape culture: ‘Boys need to be taught what is appropriate’

Six men on how they plan to stand up against rape culture: ‘Boys need to be taught what is appropriate’

While most of the crowd at a Stop Sexual Violence rally in New York City was mostly women, men of all ages were in attendance too

The Guardian - US

Isaias slams Gulf Coast as hurricane with powerful winds and dangerous flooding

Isaias slams Gulf Coast as hurricane with powerful winds and dangerous flooding

GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Isaias crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane, hammering communities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle with damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding and life-threatening storm surges.

The Independent UK

FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed

FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed

Regulator looks to expand loophole to allow dangerous compounds in food as long as they’re not carcinogenic

The Guardian - US

Georgia power outage: Nearly 100,000 customers lose power as Hurricane Isaias sweeps across the state, bringing damaging winds and tornado threats

Georgia power outage: Nearly 100,000 customers lose power as Hurricane Isaias sweeps across the state, bringing damaging winds and tornado threats

Hurricane Isaias hit Florida hard, leaving many in Georgia without power as it wreaked havoc across the region. Over 100,000 residents statewide faced electricity outages, while counties experienced dangerous storm surges and flash flooding. In light of this crisis, Governor Brian Kemp issued a State of Emergency, aiming to streamline…

The Economic Times

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

‘People are pissed’: union decries TSA’s removal of chairs for checkpoint staff

‘People are pissed’: union decries TSA’s removal of chairs for checkpoint staff

Order for workers to remain standing to ‘reinforce professionalism’ draws rebuke amid plunging morale

The Guardian - US

Hurricane Simon live tracker map: Storm’s path as it makes landfall

Hurricane Simon live tracker map: Storm’s path as it makes landfall

Hurricane Simon is expected to make landfall in Mexico late on Saturday

The Independent UK

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

Six men on how they plan to stand up against rape culture: ‘Boys need to be taught what is appropriate’

Six men on how they plan to stand up against rape culture: ‘Boys need to be taught what is appropriate’

While most of the crowd at a Stop Sexual Violence rally in New York City was mostly women, men of all ages were in attendance too

The Guardian - US

Isaias slams Gulf Coast as hurricane with powerful winds and dangerous flooding

Isaias slams Gulf Coast as hurricane with powerful winds and dangerous flooding

GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Isaias crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane, hammering communities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle with damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding and life-threatening storm surges.

The Independent UK

FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed

FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed

Regulator looks to expand loophole to allow dangerous compounds in food as long as they’re not carcinogenic

The Guardian - US

Georgia power outage: Nearly 100,000 customers lose power as Hurricane Isaias sweeps across the state, bringing damaging winds and tornado threats

Georgia power outage: Nearly 100,000 customers lose power as Hurricane Isaias sweeps across the state, bringing damaging winds and tornado threats

Hurricane Isaias hit Florida hard, leaving many in Georgia without power as it wreaked havoc across the region. Over 100,000 residents statewide faced electricity outages, while counties experienced dangerous storm surges and flash flooding. In light of this crisis, Governor Brian Kemp issued a State of Emergency, aiming to streamline…

The Economic Times

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

‘People are pissed’: union decries TSA’s removal of chairs for checkpoint staff

‘People are pissed’: union decries TSA’s removal of chairs for checkpoint staff

Order for workers to remain standing to ‘reinforce professionalism’ draws rebuke amid plunging morale

The Guardian - US

Hurricane Simon live tracker map: Storm’s path as it makes landfall

Hurricane Simon live tracker map: Storm’s path as it makes landfall

Hurricane Simon is expected to make landfall in Mexico late on Saturday

The Independent UK

Our Picks

Geordie Greep denies sexual assault allegations from stage in Vancouver

While some heard the former Black Midi frontman out, others made for the exit as he addressed accusations

The Guardian - UK

A woman goes to pour Walmart chicken broth dated 2027, but something is clogging the spout: ‘What the heck is that?’

That’s not how broth pours.

We Got This Covered

A man buys three limited-edition BrüMate cups at Target after two failed trips, then says a woman stopped him on the way out and demanded them back

Didn't see that coming.

We Got This Covered

‘He was just a baby’: A cat owner says his hair-loss treatment cost him his 2-year-old cat, and he’s warning others about minoxidil

Should come with a warning label.

We Got This Covered

A hospital worker’s $15.99 Goodwill find was identified as a Le Pho painting worth up to $80,000

An occupational therapist found a painting for $15.99 at Goodwill while shopping to relieve stress. Notably, the piece was valued significantly higher during an appraisal on Antiques Roadshow. Fine-art expert Betty Krulik identified it as a work by Vietnamese artist Le Pho. The appraisal revealed that similar artworks could sell…

The Times of India

Stark warning – does new footage in Avengers: Endgame reveal the truth about Doctor Doom?

Warning: contains spoilers The four short scenes added to the new version has made the film the highest-grossing of all time – but the only people really enjoying this are the Disney accountants

The Guardian - UK

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play