LUF Admin Posted August 26 Share #1 Posted August 26 Advertisement (gone after registration) I just happened to stumble across a fraudulent Leica Store claiming to be an “official Leica Store”. The drastic discounts, incorrect translations and poor design quickly made it clear that this could only be a scam. I contacted Leica, who immediately sent me a statement to that effect. To summarize: Hands off... The official statement: Beware of Fake Stores – How Leica and Our Customers Stay Protected In recent weeks, the number of fraudulent online shops operating under the Leica name has risen significantly. These fake stores lure unsuspecting customers with supposed “special offers” and steep discounts that Leica never provides. Their goal is to deceive customers and steal sensitive data or money. To protect both our brand and our customers, we have implemented several measures: Measures Already Taken Information page on leica-camera.com At leica-camera.com/important-notice-beware-fake-leica-websites, customers can find clear guidance on how to identify fake stores. This page is searchable via Google and other search engines, but it is intentionally not linked directly from our website to avoid confusion. Direct reporting option Through our partner tool Marqvision, suspicious websites can be reported quickly and easily. Each report helps us take action against fraudsters. Active takedown management We consistently work to shut down fraudulent sites. Numerous fake stores have already been taken offline. Public relations Our PR teams have prepared an official statement, which has already been picked up by U.S. media outlets such as Petapixel and Digital Camera World. This helps raise public awareness of the issue. Customer support Our global Customer Care teams have been briefed and are prepared to respond to related customer inquiries. How You Can Help Stay alert: If you come across a suspicious Leica website, please report it directly using the Marqvision reporting form. Do not share personal data: Never enter personal information or payment details on such sites. Pass on the information: If customers contact you about potential fake shops, please refer them to our official information page: Official Notice. 5 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 26 Posted August 26 Hi LUF Admin, Take a look here Caution: Leica Fake Stores. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
TheGodParticle/Hari Posted August 26 Share #2 Posted August 26 Thank you for sharing this important announcement Andreas. I also notified Leica a few weeks ago. As a general principle, if a store is selling a Leica M11 in glossy black finish for $2,306.33 with a whopping $9,225.32 discount, it's a scam. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/423905-caution-leica-fake-stores/?do=findComment&comment=5854146'>More sharing options...
theseahawk Posted August 26 Share #3 Posted August 26 These are all over Instagram - with no easy way to report that could see before I bailed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter12 Posted August 26 Share #4 Posted August 26 40 minutes ago, theseahawk said: These are all over Instagram - with no easy way to report that could see before I bailed. You can report on Instagram, I do it fairly often when I see "too good to be true" prices. Because if it's too good to be true, it is certainly a scam. Only dummies would fall for that. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtodrick Posted August 26 Share #5 Posted August 26 Just ordered my $2300 M11. Can’t wait for it to arrive 😡😡😡😡 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted August 26 Share #6 Posted August 26 These scams using a very similar web address's to established businesses were highlighted in a thread not to long ago, was it is Barnacks Bar? But if it's too good to be true it isn't true. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted August 27 Share #7 Posted August 27 Advertisement (gone after registration) 6 hours ago, bobtodrick said: Just ordered my $2300 M11. Can’t wait for it to arrive 😡😡😡😡 I'll give you $2400 for it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtodrick Posted August 27 Share #8 Posted August 27 12 minutes ago, fotografr said: I'll give you $2400 for it. Your on...a quick $100 profit. I'll let you know when I get it 😂 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUF Admin Posted August 27 Author Share #9 Posted August 27 Please do me a favor and Do Not post links to these fake stores. Of course no member would be dumb enough to use them – but links lead search engines to rank them higher. Andreas 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted August 27 Share #10 Posted August 27 (edited) If something looks to be too good to be true, it probably is. I have a large quantity of assorted steel girders for sale. Location: Paris. Some disassembly required. Price: €2,500. Edited August 27 by Viv 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted August 27 Share #11 Posted August 27 14 hours ago, TheGodParticle/Hari said: Thank you for sharing this important announcement Andreas. I also notified Leica a few weeks ago. As a general principle, if a store is selling a Leica M11 in glossy black finish for $2,306.33 with a whopping $9,225.32 discount, it's a scam. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Thanks, Hari. We all know that if it looks too good to be true, it isn't, but Leica needs to avoid any reputational damage. Most of us here are on Leica mailing lists and I would suggest that a general reference to this practice goes out on the next general email issue. The difficulty for Leica is that someone who gets caught by a fake, but slightly altered, email or URL, or even a 'captured' one, may shout very loud about what Leica did or did not do about this. It is good that Andreas has highlighted this, but this may not go away. The next scam might be 20% off instead of 80%. The high price of new Leicas gives the perpetrators a lot of scope. We all need to remain vigilant. William 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frame-it Posted August 27 Share #12 Posted August 27 16 hours ago, theseahawk said: These are all over Instagram - with no easy way to report that could see before I bailed. Instagram reporting is a woke waste of time, its better to take a screenshot and send it to leica Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 27 Share #13 Posted August 27 17 hours ago, TheGodParticle/Hari said: As a general principle, if a store is selling a Leica M11 in glossy black finish for $2,306.33 with a whopping $9,225.32 discount, it's a scam. Or a stolen camera. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted August 27 Share #14 Posted August 27 9 hours ago, bobtodrick said: Your on...a quick $100 profit. I'll let you know when I get it 😂 I'll get ready to sell my M10-R and M10M for $1200 each to cover the cost. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted August 27 Share #15 Posted August 27 I just tried to report it via the mechanism you suggest, and it wouldn't go through. this is what I wrtoe in the text portion of the form: On Instagram with the "address" of: Leica Camera 100th Anniversary Sale I've captured their screen image and can send it to you, but to where? I also reported it to Instagram as a scam Below is the image I captured Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/423905-caution-leica-fake-stores/?do=findComment&comment=5854676'>More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 27 Share #16 Posted August 27 I’ve seen someone who was caught by one of these scams commenting that they were prepared to do whatever they needed to track down the person behind the ad and get their camera! They didn’t understand that there are no cameras, just adverts for stuff that doesn’t exist and a well hidden trail to ensure they never have to return the money! Always do your due diligence when buying something online!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjans Posted August 28 Share #17 Posted August 28 17 hours ago, stuny said: I just tried to report it via the mechanism you suggest, and it wouldn't go through. this is what I wrtoe in the text portion of the form: On Instagram with the "address" of: Leica Camera 100th Anniversary Sale I've captured their screen image and can send it to you, but to where? I also reported it to Instagram as a scam Below is the image I captured Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I've also seen a few similar on Instagram during the last weeks. Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUF Admin Posted August 29 Author Share #18 Posted August 29 Folks, again: Am 27.8.2025 um 07:08 schrieb LUF Admin: Please do me a favor and Do Not post links to these fake stores. Of course no member would be dumb enough to use them – but links lead search engines to rank them higher. I just removed another post. Andreas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lykaman Posted August 29 Share #19 Posted August 29 (edited) On 8/26/2025 at 11:40 PM, Viv said: If something looks to be too good to be true, it probably is. I have a large quantity of assorted steel girders for sale. Location: Paris. Some disassembly required. Price: €2,500. Steel yourself for some leg pulling 😎 Edited August 29 by lykaman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronazle Posted August 29 Share #20 Posted August 29 Thanks, Fake and Fraud in today's world? What a surprise. I'll leave it there. thanks again. ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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