Popular Australian fashion brand Peppermayo has warned customers to be vigilant when shopping online after a high school student was “scammed” by an illegitimate website.
Ramsey, from the US, ordered a dress online and only realised she had fallen for a fake company when the dress failed to arrive.
She vented her frustrations in a video that has already surpassed more than 9.3 million views, and in the comments Ramsey clarified that she purchased from Peppermayo, or so she thought.
The brand has now responded publicly, explaining that Ramsey was the victim of scammers who wanted to steal money from shoppers.
“Our comments have been inundated with people calling us scammers,” a Peppermayo spokesperson said in a video.
‘We just want to clarify that Ramsey was scammed by a counterfeit website that used our IP and logos to scam and take money from unsuspecting and well-intentioned buyers.
‘Just like phishing emails from criminals posing as your bank or the government to steal your information, fraudulent websites posing as us are incredibly common.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Peppermayo for comment.
Australian fashion retailer Peppermayo has responded publicly after a high school student fell victim to an online scam impersonating the brand (Peppermayo knockoff websites pictured right)
“We are currently working with a company to remove them, but they will continue to appear,” the brand warned.
The spokesperson confirmed that Ramsey purchased the dress from a website called ‘Pepperr Mayo,’ which is spelled incorrectly.
The order number was also only four digits long, whereas actual brand order numbers start with PM followed by AU, US or UK and the order code.
“We have since reached out to Ramsey and offered her a replacement dress so she won’t be left without a dress for her homecoming,” the spokesperson continued.
We know there is a lot of talk about our brand online. Please remember to stay safe online and verify where you shop.
Ramsey, from the US, ordered a dress online and only realised she had fallen for a fake company when the dress failed to arrive.
The spokesperson confirmed that Ramsey purchased a dress from a website called “Pepperr Mayo,” which is misspelled (left). Scammers also often send fake emails using Gmail accounts (right).
The video surprised loyal fans who have only had positive experiences when ordering from the brand.
“I was shocked when I saw that video because I’ve only had positive experiences with your brand,” one commented on the clip.
“First of all, it’s very easy to tell who the scammers are. I don’t want to sound cruel but you have to be on your guard and it’s definitely not her fault. She could have easily noticed from all the fake parts of this!” another said bluntly.
“This is so great to be able to talk about! As someone lucky enough to be on Peppermayo’s PR roster, I’ve received phenomenal customer service, amazing quality pieces, and wonderful people all around,” added a third.
Someone else said: “I work in cybersecurity and cybercriminals are getting smarter.”
“I’m surprised people don’t notice that the emails are written in all capital letters – an immediate sign of criminality,” added another.