Popular artificial intelligence assistants, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Perplexity, can sometimes direct users to fraudulent, inactive or potentially unsafe websites when answering shopping-related questions, according to a new study by brand-protection company Podqi. The research, shared with The Verge in November 2026, found that all three AI platforms displayed websites classified as risky during tests involving 151 brands.
The findings raise concerns about the growing use of AI chatbots as shopping assistants. Consumers increasingly ask these tools where to purchase products, which websites are official and whether retailers ship internationally. However, the study suggests that AI-generated recommendations can include fake online stores, websites impersonating legitimate brands and outdated domains that have been registered by unrelated parties.
Study Tests ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity Across 151 Brands
Podqi conducted the research in collaboration with AI search monitoring company Gauge. The team asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the same five shopping-related questions about 151 brands, including fashion, footwear and homeware companies.
The prompts included questions such as:
- What are the best websites for buying products from a particular brand?
- Where can customers purchase a brand’s products online?
- Does a company ship internationally?
- What are its official regional websites?
- Which online stores sell its products?
Researchers conducted two rounds of testing in September 2026 and examined a total of 6,795 AI-generated responses.
The study identified websites as risky if they appeared to impersonate legitimate brands, offered suspected counterfeit products or were inactive domains that could potentially be purchased and reused by someone else.
The researchers found that all three AI assistants sometimes included these websites in their responses.
Perplexity Had the Highest Share of Risky Website Results
The study found significant differences in how frequently the three AI platforms displayed risky websites.
<text weight=”semibold”>Share of answers containing risky websites</text>
| AI platform | Share of answers |
|---|---|
| Perplexity | 15% |
| ChatGPT | 8% |
| Google Gemini | 4% |
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Perplexity had the highest proportion, with risky websites appearing in 15% of its tested answers. ChatGPT followed at 8%, while Gemini recorded the lowest share at 4%.
These figures measure the proportion of answers containing a risky website, not the percentage of all links that were fraudulent. They also reflect the specific prompts, brands and testing conditions used by Podqi rather than every possible interaction with the platforms.
Gemini performed best among the three in this particular test, although its results still included potentially problematic websites.
AI Assistants Sometimes Presented Risky Websites as Legitimate Stores
One of the most concerning findings was how the platforms described the websites they surfaced.
Across the risky answers, the researchers found that:
| How AI handled a risky website | Share |
|---|---|
| Recommended it as a place to buy | 57% |
| Mentioned it without a warning | 34% |
| Warned users against it | 9% |
The results indicate that warnings were relatively uncommon when AI assistants included questionable websites.
In one example highlighted by The Verge, Perplexity incorrectly identified a website as the official online store for fashion brand Stüssy and described it as a starting point for purchasing guaranteed authentic products.
The example illustrates how an AI assistant can create a misleading impression of legitimacy even when a website has not been properly verified.
For consumers, the problem is particularly serious because AI-generated responses often present recommendations in a confident and organised format. Users may assume that a website recommended by an AI assistant has been checked for authenticity.
However, a link appearing in an AI response does not necessarily mean that the platform has verified the business behind it.
Regional Shopping Searches Were Particularly Risky
The researchers also found that questions about regional websites were more likely to produce risky results.
For example, when users asked whether a brand had an official website for a particular country, AI assistants sometimes listed websites that did not belong to the brand.
This is a significant concern for international shoppers. Large companies may operate separate websites for different countries, while smaller brands may have only one official online store.
AI systems can struggle to distinguish between legitimate regional websites, independent retailers, resellers and fraudulent imitations.
The problem could become more serious when users search for local shopping options in countries where a brand has limited official distribution.
A convincing-looking domain can make a fraudulent store appear authentic, especially when an AI assistant describes it as an authorised retailer.
Why AI Chatbots Can Recommend Fraudulent Websites
AI assistants retrieve and process information from websites, search indexes and other sources. Their responses depend on the quality, accuracy and reliability of the information available to them.
Several factors can contribute to problematic recommendations.
Outdated information: A website that once belonged to a legitimate retailer may expire and later be registered by someone else. An AI system relying on older information may continue associating the domain with the original brand.
Brand impersonation: Fraudulent operators can create websites that imitate legitimate retailers through similar domain names, logos and product listings.
Weak verification: A website appearing in search results does not automatically establish that it is authorised to sell a particular brand’s products.
Regional confusion: AI systems may incorrectly identify independent retailers or unrelated domains as official country-specific brand websites.
Misleading online information: Fraudulent websites can publish content designed to make their businesses appear legitimate and improve their visibility in search results.
The study suggests that identifying a relevant website and verifying its legitimacy are two different tasks. AI assistants may be reasonably effective at finding websites related to a shopping query without reliably establishing whether those websites are safe.
How OpenAI, Google and Perplexity Responded
The companies behind the three AI platforms responded to questions about the research.
OpenAI said its goal is to connect ChatGPT users with reliable places to shop. The company added that it continues to improve safeguards designed to reduce the appearance of potentially deceptive websites in shopping-related results.
Google said it takes information quality seriously and pointed to Gemini’s comparatively lower rate of risky website results in the study. The company also noted that Gemini can make mistakes and provides source links to help users verify information.
Perplexity defended its performance on research benchmarks, while acknowledging that its system is not guaranteed to be completely accurate.
The responses highlight an important challenge for the AI industry: providing useful shopping recommendations requires more than finding websites that mention a particular brand. Platforms also need reliable methods for assessing ownership, authenticity and commercial legitimacy.
How Consumers Can Avoid Fake Websites Recommended by AI
The findings do not mean that users should stop using AI assistants for shopping research. Instead, they highlight the importance of independently checking websites before making purchases.
Consumers can follow several precautions:
- Visit the official brand website: Search for the company’s verified website independently rather than relying entirely on an AI-generated link.
- Check the domain carefully: Look for spelling changes, unusual extensions and domains that imitate a recognised brand.
- Verify authorised retailers: Use the brand’s official store locator or retailer directory where available.
- Be cautious with unusually low prices: Deep discounts on popular products can be a warning sign of counterfeit or fraudulent stores.
- Check payment protections: Avoid unfamiliar websites that demand unusual payment methods or provide no clear refund policy.
- Do not share sensitive information prematurely: Verify a website before entering payment details, passwords or personal information.
These checks are particularly important when purchasing expensive electronics, branded clothing, footwear and other products that are frequently targeted by counterfeit sellers.
The Bigger Picture
The study highlights a growing security challenge as AI assistants become intermediaries between consumers and online businesses. ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are increasingly used not only to answer questions but also to identify products, compare retailers and guide purchasing decisions.
That shift creates an opportunity for fraudulent businesses to benefit from the trust users place in AI-generated recommendations. Even when a platform does not intend to promote a scam, an inaccurate website recommendation can expose consumers to financial losses and counterfeit products.
The findings also show why AI search quality cannot be measured only by how relevant or detailed an answer appears. Trustworthiness requires accurate information about the websites being recommended, including whether they genuinely represent the businesses they claim to represent.
Looking Ahead
AI companies will need to improve how their systems verify website ownership, identify suspicious domains and distinguish official retailers from unauthorised sellers. Better integration of verified brand information and more prominent warnings could help reduce the risk of misleading recommendations.
For consumers, the immediate lesson is straightforward: an AI-generated shopping recommendation should be treated as a starting point for research, not proof that a website is legitimate. As AI-powered shopping becomes more common, independent verification will remain an essential part of online safety.
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