In what appears to be a widespread and elaborate worldwide scam, retail websites are being established to mimic or falsely claim to be Australian high-street jewellery stores.
In some examples, extraordinary measures are taken to build the illusion of authenticity. These include creating AI images of stores and business owners that don’t exist, as well as fake delivery tracking numbers and financial statements.
This is merely the tip of the iceberg. Many of these shady online retailers use fake reviews, fictitious personal backgrounds, and fraudulent sales events to deceive consumers into purchasing products under the guise of supporting a local business.
Jeweller has been monitoring many of these international fraudsters for some time. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently issued a public warning regarding the conduct of these online retailers, highlighting four specific examples.
The consumer watchdog noted an increase in reports about ‘ghost stores’, with an estimated 360 complaints concerning around 60 online retailers recorded over the past six months.
The ACCC noted that the complaints represent only a small percentage of problematic encounters with deceptive businesses. Deputy chair Catriona Lowe described these online retailers as predators taking advantage of unwitting and well-meaning consumers.
“We urge all Australians to think twice before clicking on ads they see on social media which claim to be from a boutique business based in a local town or city,” Lowe said.
“Often, ghost stores will share an emotional story on their social media or website that they are a small, locally operated business, needing to close for financial reasons. They will claim they are having a ‘closing down sale’ as a result, with all stock heavily discounted and available on a very limited basis.
“This conduct preys on the empathy of consumers who have a genuine desire to support local businesses, as well as creating a false sense of urgency.”
The ACCC warning concerned four businesses that were already on the radar of Jeweller researchers: everly-melbourne.com, willowandgrace-adelaide.com, sophie-claire.com, and doublebayboutique.com.
“The websites often use a similar format to many other online stores, advertising high-quality boutique clothing at heavily discounted prices,” Lowe continued.
“However, when the product arrives in the mail, consumers report receiving cheap, mass-produced products that have been sold at an inflated price and do not fit their advertised quality or description.”
The ACCC also noted that many shady online retailers use targeted paid advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and often appear to utilise the Shopify e-commerce platform to host and operate their elaborate scams.
Indeed, despite increasing interest from government regulators and the mainstream media, hard-hitting questions asked of these digital companies, which effectively assist the operation of these scam websites, appear to be falling on deaf ears.
Creating a perfect list of ‘warning signs’ or ‘red flags’ is challenging because the tactics used change from website to website. After an extensive investigation, here’s a preview of what Jeweller has discovered so far.
Sisters behaving badly
One of the most publicised tactics these scam retailers use is claiming to be a store based in popular shopping locations in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, or, in other cases, iconic tourist hotspots such as Byron Bay.
A particularly interesting example is two interconnected businesses that claim to be local Australian retailers: Hudson Sisters and Cairns Sisters Boutique. A third website, Tauranga Boutique, which claims to be a New Zealand retailer, is also involved.
Hudson Sisters (hudson-sisters.com) offers a limited range of jewellery which, apparently, is ‘designed in Australia’ and ‘inspired by Cairns’. The website claims the business was started in 2015 by two sisters, Angela and Elise, and purports to be based in Queensland.
On the basis that Hudson Sisters was celebrating 10 years in business, its website promotes a 10th anniversary sale, with 80 per cent off all products. Despite reaching this supposedly momentous occasion, the website was only registered in April 2025.
Hudson Sisters has a Facebook account, which was registered on 18 November 2024; however, this has only been the name of the page since 6 April 2025. When the page was registered, it was under the name ‘Cairns Sisters Boutique’.
The Hudson Sisters account is managed by four administrators in the Netherlands and three in the Philippines. The website also has a link to an Instagram account; however, when selected, it directs to the Instagram page for the Cairns Sisters Boutique, which has been taken offline.
The website for Cairns Sisters Boutique (cairns-sisters-boutique.com) is no longer online; however, archived versions are revealing. The website's design matches that of Hudson Sisters, and a 75 per cent off sale was promoted to ‘celebrate summer’.
The website was registered on November 20, 2024, and claims that the business was founded in 2019 by two sisters, Jodie and Kara. It also features a panel showcasing glowing reviews from local consumers.
This is surprising because the Trustpilot profile for the business has 53 reviews, and 96 per cent of customers have rated the company as one-star. The reviews reveal enraged consumers complaining about the quality of the products, customer service, and other issues.
The third sham website being tracked by Jeweller is Tauranga Boutique in New Zealand (tauranga-boutique.com). Again, this is another business supposedly launched by two sisters, Zoey and Sarah.
Interestingly, the website, which was registered on 1 October 2024, has the same design as Hudson Sisters and Cairns Sisters Boutique, and is promoting a Closing Down Sale.
Consumers are told that it’s time to bid farewell to the business after 33 years of loyal service in New Zealand, and a discount of 80 per cent is being promoted. This is confusing for two reasons, the most important being that there has never been any such physical store in Tauranga.
Additionally, the ‘About Us’ page for the website states that Zoey and Sarah started the business in 2018 - so it’s unclear how the milestone of 33 years has been reached.
The Tauranga Boutique account on Facebook is also managed by four administrators in the Netherlands and three in the Philippines.
The website features an AI-generated image of a storefront, and the elaborate scam extends to creating an advertisement at a bus stop.
The TrustPilot profile for Tauranga Boutique has been overwhelmed with negative reviews — 133 in total — with 98 per cent of consumers reporting a one-star experience.
These Trustpilot reviews aside, it’s a different story on the Tauranga Boutique website, where consumers are greeted with a panel of glowing five-star reviews. It supposedly has 281 reviews; however, the panel displays fewer than 10 examples of feedback from individuals who have supposedly taken the time to review the business.
Celebrity status
But this is where it gets interesting - you will likely recognise some of the people who have purchased products from Tauranga Boutique!
Kylie Benson writes, “Quick solve, great service”, and awards five stars!
That said, Kylie Benson’s photo is of Jenna Fischer, the actress best known for her role as ‘Pam Beesly’ in the television series The Office.
Sharon Blake, another supposedly loyal customer, writes, “Super hot”, and also awards the business five stars. However, Sharon Blake’s photo is that of supermodel Paulina Porizkova!
A reverse image search reveals that many of the photos of the reviewers appear to have been taken from social media accounts registered under different names from those listed on the website, suggesting that this practice of identity theft is not limited to celebrities.
A report published by The Spinoff, a politics and pop culture website, documents the negative experiences of consumers dealing with this supposedly New Zealand-based business.
“The likelihood of being scammed online, or at the very least receiving a product that’s worse than you expected, seems to increase with every passing year,” writes Madeleine Chapman.
“It has been well-documented that Meta - which owns Facebook and Instagram, where these companies advertise heavily - does little, if anything, to combat scam ads.
“For now, the suggestions from the likes of the National Cyber Security Centre and Retail NZ are for New Zealanders to simply keep reporting companies they believe are misleading customers, and be wary of social media advertising.”
The report noted that New Zealand’s Commerce Commission had received 107 enquiries about these types of websites, with 28 relating specifically to Tauranga Boutique.
Beyond these examples, many other aspects of these websites are worth noting. Hudson Sisters has a feature on specific products that says, “This customer favourite is flying! Only X left.”
However, whenever the page is refreshed, the number changes — it climbs higher or drops lower. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to this retailer’s inventory.
The website also advises that sale items cannot be returned, which is in violation of ACL, as regulated by the ACCC.
“Some returns may need to be sent to our international processing facilities,” the Hudson Sisters website advises. It would seem unusual for a retail business based in Cairns to operate an international processing facility.
Jeweller contacted Hudson Sisters, Cairns Sisters Boutique, and Tauranga Boutique for comment; however, unsurprisingly, did not receive a response.
More hidden treasures
As mentioned, this fraudulent activity is on the increase, and another series of interconnected online retailers is also worthy of review. These are Palace of Treasures Australia, Palace Jewellery Australia, and House of Treasures Australia, among other variations.
The Palace of Treasures Australia website (thepalaceoftreasuresaustralia.com) was registered on 11 September 2023, while Palace Jewellery Australia (palacejewelsaustralia.com) was registered on 15 January 2024. The House of Treasures Australia website (houseoftreasuresaustralia.com) was registered on 27 August 2024.
At the time of publication, all three websites are offline. These websites previously claimed that the business is based in Brisbane. Archived versions of these websites are packed with hidden surprises – including an address listed as 123 Fake Street, Toronto!
Apparently, Palace of Treasures Australia had been operating for 104 years, serving the community as designers and artisans since 1919. The website stated that, although the physical store had recently closed due to the owner's upcoming retirement, the online business would continue until all stock was sold.
Throughout its supposedly long and illustrious history, the business has won the Friedrich-Becker Prize for jewellery twice. The Professor Friedrich Becker Society in Germany awards this prize every three years, recognising achievements in gold and silversmithing.
Unfortunately, Palace of Treasures Australia is not mentioned on the official website — an apparently glaring oversight for the competition’s only two-time winner since it started in 1999!
Alternative versions of the website can be found based in Europe and the US. An archived version of one Australian website clarifies that the business is based in Hong Kong, not Brisbane. The registered company was ‘Rolling Ecom Limited’. A Shipping Policy page still indicates that all products are shipped from either China or the US.
The Palace Jewellery Australia account on Facebook was registered on 13 September 2023; however, it has also undergone a name change. The page was initially registered as ‘Diamond Colombia’ before being changed to ‘Palace Jewellery Australia’ on 20 February 2024.
Jeweller contacted Palace of Treasures Australia, Palace Jewellery Australia, and House of Treasures Australia for comment; however, did not receive a response.
Where are you from, exactly?
While the three ‘treasures’ websites detailed above seem to be connected, another online retailer packed with hidden surprises is Bella’s Treasures. This website (bellastreasures.com) is a self-proclaimed ‘Aussie jewellery brand’, apparently!
The website was created on 19 February 2024, and once again, we find that a store that claims to be Australian-based ships all products from China and the US.
The Facebook account for Bella’s Treasures was registered on 21 February 2024 as ‘Eternal Treasures’ before the name was changed that same day. The account is managed by administrators from the US (2), Indonesia (1), and Spain (1).
Interestingly, despite having only made two posts since the page was registered, Bella’s Treasures has somehow amassed 40,000 followers. Despite this large following, 45 reviews have been posted directly to the account, and a mere 20 per cent would ‘recommend’ the business.
One Facebook user poses a question to the business: “Where is your jewellery made and shipped from??”
The Bella’s Treasures account replied: “Hello! We are an Australian based company, however, all orders are placed through our website, you can see all the details here.”
What a clever way to refuse to answer two simple questions!
In terms of reviews, the story is similar elsewhere. On TrustPilot, the company has 42 reviews and 96 per cent are one-star. The feedback has been even harsher on Product Review – 121 reviews, with 98 per cent of the negative.
Jeweller contacted Bella’s Treasures for comment; however, did not receive a response.
Interestingly; however, an automated response was received and the sender was ‘Atencion al Cliente’ – Spanish for ‘customer service’!
This would seem logical, given that one of the company’s social media managers is based in Spain; however, it appears incongruous with Bella’s Treasures being a supposed ‘Aussie jewellery brand!’
Drop in the ocean
This report is merely the tip of the iceberg – more than 100 examples have been examined. In subsequent reports, Jeweller will provide accounts of retailers attempting to put an end to ‘ghost stores’ stealing images and videos for promotional purposes.
Ultimately, these scams serve as a stark reminder of a hard truth: not everything is as it seems online.
It also demonstrates to what degree the famous cartoonist, Peter Steiner, was correct when he penned the now-famous line in 1993: On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.
It began as a commentary on ‘internet anonymity’ with a caption to a cartoon depicting a dog sitting at a desk, with its paw on the keyboard of a computer, speaking to a smaller dog sitting on the floor.
It’s a humorous illustration addressing the anonymity of online interaction. It highlights how people conceal their true identities behind a screen, allowing anyone to present themselves as they choose.
It also raises broader questions about authenticity, trust, and deception in digital communications and relationships, which, as this report demonstrates, are becoming increasingly complicated to navigate.
While Steiner was arguably ahead of his time, it is doubtful that even he could have foreseen how the internet would develop into the world’s biggest source of international fraudsters.
These examples also serve as a valuable reminder about the value of traditional jewellery stores. In the digital age, the advantages of face-to-face shopping are all too easily forgotten.
Visiting a store may not match the speed and convenience of online shopping; however, it offers a tangible experience. You are allowed to see, touch, and evaluate jewellery, before making your decision. There is no guessing game.
Indeed, while the sparkle of shopping for jewellery online may catch your eye, this investigation shows that far too often, what lies beneath the surface is far from gold.