Fake shopping sites shut

London : More than 1,200 scam websites targeting Christmas shoppers were shut down on Thursday in an unprecedented online raid.

Experts at Scotland Yard's e-crime unit targeted hundreds of sites run by fraudsters in Asia hiding behind British domain names.

The websites offered discount designer goods including clothing and jewellery, but police said customers either received counterfeits or nothing at all.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said 1,219 dodgy websites were closed by Operation Papworth.

He said the sites offered items including trendy Ugg boots and GHD hair straighteners as well as jewellery from Tiffany and Links of London. Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie, head of the Police Central e-crime Unit, said: "Fraudsters target the victim's desire to buy designer goods at reduced prices, particularly at this time of year. The risk begins when your desire to purchase blinds your judgment or leads you to illegal websites. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is."

Police said those duped by the scam could also be at risk of having their identities stolen or misused.