Great Backyard website a great big fake

We have had reports of dealings with the website greatbackyard.com.au with one report of a loss of $497.

Scammers set up this fake website selling house and garden products at too good to be true prices. After selecting the items you wish to purchase, victims are prompted to either log in or create an account. Our officers tested the site and at the checkout the only option provided is to pay using bank transfer.  

The reported loss of $497 was from a consumer who has not received the BBQ he had ordered and paid for via bank transfer.

The fake website is registered in Queensland but no street address is given for the business. There is no ABN listed on the site and the parent company INDITEX PTY LTD  is not a registered Australian Business. We are attempting to have the site such down but in the meantime want to warn consumers of this issue. 

Tips to avoid fake websites

• Be wary of ‘great deals’ served to you via an internet search or pop-ups. Scammers hope to catch you out when you impulse buy on the promise of a super bargain.
• Be suspicious of sites you haven’t heard of before or that haven’t been online for long (copyright 2017 at the bottom for example).
• Consider the risks if there is no physical address, phone contact details or ABN.
• Watch out for sites asking for insecure payment methods (direct bank transfer or wire transfer).
• Protect yourself by using known reputable sites and paying by a secure system (padlocked) with a credit card or Paypal, so you have an opportunity to seek a chargeback if you don’t get what you paid for.
• Use the internet to search for reviews before buying from a website as this will often reveal consumer blog threads exposing scam sites (or a Consumer Protection’s warning).
• Be aware scammers create copycat sites of real online businesses. Pixelated photos can be a sign of this.