4 min to read
Stolen luxury Chanel bags up for sale on the dark web.
Investigating a dark web site selling stolen bags from the luxury French brand Chanel.
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Recently, Chanel raised the prices of its handbags, notably increasing the price of some popular bags like the Chanel Classic flap bag by 16%, pushing its price to over $10,000. Other bag models like the Chanel Coco Handle, Chanel 19, and Chanel Pearl Crush also saw a 14% price hike. Despite these increases, Chanel bags maintain high resale values, a trend that shows no signs of changing.
This site - Chanel Stolen Good Warehouse is presented as a secure and profitable investment compared to riskier alternatives like buying stolen credit cards or counterfeit money. This is due to the strong resale value that Chanel bags commands. Buyers can easily sell these high-value handbags at a premium through stores or collectors. Chanel guarantees that all bags sold are new and original. Chanel ensures an unlimited stock and provides secure and fast delivery to all countries worldwide. This assurance of authenticity is crucial for maintaining the high resale value of these bags.
Where do these luxury bags come from?
The sellers boast of selling new and original bags believed to have been stolen from the original buyer. The shop claims to have a replenishing and unlimited stock to offer, and secure and fast delivery is available to all countries worldwide.
The seller only uses the website to sell because they can’t sell to shops in bulk as it would be risky to them, but when a buyer purchases from the shop, it can be resold to other individuals, stores or collectors at the current market value or even higher than the current value and make a good profit.
How the shop operates
The site works as an e-commerce site with listings of items for sale with different price tags.
Once a user selects their interested item, a page with the description of the item is displayed showing details such as the model of the bag, the size, the original price and the new buying price for the stolen item.
Other images of the item are also posted to give the customer different viewing angles of the bag they’re about to purchase
Once a buyer decides to move on with the purchase, they are directed to the checkout where they will be provided with a form to be filled out and then make payment using Monero or Bitcoin.
After successful payment, the buyer is then provided with a tracking number that is used to track the order.
Reputation
The shop allows its customers to leave feedback on their orders. The aim of this is to allow other potential buyers to feel encouraged and safe to make purchases in the shop. To leave feedback, you must be an active customer with a purchase order number. Some feedback provided on the sites are:
Red Flags
While the shop offers several features to make customers and potential customers feel safe such as tracking service for packages once orders are made, anonymous payments, and free worldwide shipping, there are several red flags that we’ve identified.
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Too-Good-To-Be-True Prices: The promotion claims that buying these high-value handbags guarantees a profit, suggesting they can be sold for more than their purchase price. This is a common tactic used to lure buyers into a false sense of security.
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Anonymous and Untraceable Payment Methods: The insistence on payment through Bitcoin or Monero is concerning. These cryptocurrencies are often favoured for their anonymity, which can make it difficult to trace transactions if something goes wrong.
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Claims of Unlimited Stock: Legitimate sellers, especially those dealing in luxury goods, typically do not have an unlimited stock of high-demand items like Chanel bags. This claim is unrealistic and should raise suspicion.
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Exclusively Online Sales: The explanation that they sell only through their website and not in bulk to shops for risk reasons is dubious. Reputable businesses do not operate under such constraints and usually have clear, verifiable distribution channels.
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Suspicious Contact Information: The contact email provided (GlobalDeepWeb[@]proton[.]me) uses a service known for its use in maintaining anonymity. This, combined with the context, suggests an effort to avoid traceability.