Security firm Nebty says it has documented DoppelCart, a fake-shop network spread across 118,787 .shop domains. That works out to 2.72% of the .shop domains Nebty examined and, by Nebty’s count, makes it the largest fake-shop network ever publicly documented by number of domains.
Nebty says the sites mimic 44,182 brands by copying product catalogs, logos, and images. In some cases, they even pull photos from the real retailers’ own infrastructure. The median brand showed up twice in the network, while some were cloned more than 30 times.
The technical overlap is hard to miss. Nebty researchers said 96% of the confirmed shops used identical build files and traced back to just 27 backends. On the payment side, the checkout pages are built to grab card numbers , expiration dates, CVVs, billing details, and even one-time bank codes through WebSockets.
If you buy things online often, this matters. Nebty says the operators lean on the usual trust signals, HTTPS, polished branding, and discounts as high as 65%, to get shoppers to drop their guard.
By Nebty’s estimate, DoppelCart is already larger than BogusBazaar, which was tied to roughly 75,000 sites. Add in reports of a 790% year-over-year jump in fake online store scams in Q1 2025, plus 80,000 fake stores spotted during the 2024 holiday season, and the pattern looks pretty clear: automation is speeding this up.
So far, there’s no public attribution, no statement from law enforcement, and no public response from the .shop registry, though some takedowns have worked. The practical advice is simple enough: check the URL carefully, be skeptical of ads and sponsored links, search the domain along with words like “scam” or “reviews,” use payment methods that include buyer protection, and stop right away if a checkout you don’t recognize asks for extra verification.
Nebty’s findings are available online.
Author: Manuel Bosque
{
"social": {
"email": "",
"facebook": "",
"twitter": "",
"linkedin": ""
},
"ja-JP": "",
"de-DE": "Manuel Bosque schreibt bei Softonic über Software: Desktop-Programme, Produktivitätswerkzeuge und kleine Tools, die ein Problem wirklich lösen. Sein Maßstab ist praktisch — was ein Programm tatsächlich leistet, was es dafür verlangt und für wen es sich lohnt —, deshalb misstraut er Funktionslisten und testet lieber selbst. Er gehört zum Team, das festlegt, wie Software auf der Seite behandelt wird, und arbeitet täglich mit KI-Werkzeugen in der redaktionellen Produktion.",
"en-US": "Manuel Bosque covers software at Softonic: desktop programs, productivity tools and the small utilities that solve one problem well. His approach is practical — what a program actually does, what it asks in return and who it is for — which is why he distrusts feature lists and prefers to test. He is part of the team that decides how software gets covered on the site, and works daily with AI tools applied to editorial production.",
"es-ES": "Manuel Bosque se ocupa de la cobertura de software en Softonic: programas de escritorio, herramientas de productividad y utilidades pequeñas que resuelven bien un solo problema. Su criterio es práctico —qué hace realmente un programa, qué pide a cambio y a quién le sirve—, y por eso desconfía de las listas de funciones y prefiere probar. Forma parte del equipo que decide cómo se cuenta el software en la web y trabaja a diario con herramientas de IA aplicadas a la producción editorial.",
"fr-FR": "Manuel Bosque couvre les logiciels chez Softonic : programmes de bureau, outils de productivité et petits utilitaires qui résolvent bien un seul problème. Son approche est pratique — ce qu'un logiciel fait vraiment, ce qu'il demande en échange et à qui il s'adresse —, d'où sa méfiance envers les listes de fonctionnalités et sa préférence pour l'essai. Il fait partie de l'équipe qui définit la manière de traiter le logiciel sur le site et travaille au quotidien avec des outils d'IA appliqués à la production éditoriale.",
"it-IT": "Manuel Bosque si occupa di software su Softonic: programmi per il desktop, strumenti di produttività e piccole utility che risolvono bene un solo problema. Il suo criterio è pratico — cosa fa davvero un programma, cosa chiede in cambio e a chi serve — e per questo diffida degli elenchi di funzioni e preferisce provare. Fa parte del team che decide come si racconta il software sul sito e lavora ogni giorno con strumenti di IA applicati alla produzione editoriale.",
"nl-NL": "Manuel Bosque schrijft bij Softonic over software: desktopprogramma's, productiviteitstools en kleine hulpprogramma's die één probleem echt oplossen. Zijn maatstaf is praktisch — wat een programma werkelijk doet, wat het daarvoor vraagt en voor wie het nuttig is — en daarom wantrouwt hij functielijstjes en test hij liever zelf. Hij maakt deel uit van het team dat bepaalt hoe software op de site wordt behandeld en werkt dagelijks met AI-tools in de redactionele productie.",
"pl-PL": "Manuel Bosque zajmuje się oprogramowaniem w Softonicu: programami na komputer, narzędziami do pracy i niewielkimi aplikacjami, które dobrze rozwiązują jeden problem. Jego kryterium jest praktyczne — co program naprawdę robi, czego wymaga w zamian i komu się przyda — dlatego nie ufa listom funkcji i woli sprawdzić sam. Należy do zespołu, który decyduje, jak pisać o oprogramowaniu w serwisie, i codziennie korzysta z narzędzi AI w produkcji redakcyjnej.",
"pt-BR": "Manuel Bosque cobre software na Softonic: programas para desktop, ferramentas de produtividade e pequenos utilitários que resolvem bem um problema só. Seu critério é prático — o que um programa realmente faz, o que pede em troca e para quem serve — e por isso desconfia de listas de recursos e prefere testar. Faz parte da equipe que define como o software é abordado no site e trabalha diariamente com ferramentas de IA aplicadas à produção editorial."
}
View all posts by Manuel Bosque
