PandaBuy is in turmoil. Data breach and police investigation rock online shopping giant

The data leak was just the beginning of PandaBuy's problems. Partners collaborating with the network for years are now removing their stores from the site. According to some sources, the police have taken an interest in PandaBuy's activities and have entered the store premises.

Shopping in online stores has always come with its set of risks. From transaction security to failing to deliver products to issues with returns - not every purchase goes smoothly. Despite this, many people opt for online shopping, often choosing stores based abroad. Chinese websites that aggregate various sellers are viral. Customers are drawn to Aliexpress, Temu, or Shein mainly because of the low prices, while the ethical aspects and quality of the ordered items often become secondary concerns.

On April 1, 2024, PandaBuy fell victim to a cyber-attack, resulting in a data leak affecting over 1.3 million customers. Hackers gained easy access to the names, surnames, mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers of people who had purchased on PandaBuy. Some sources later reported that the leak was like a list of shame, revealing the number of influencers and celebrities who had bought counterfeit luxury goods from PandaBuy. When it seemed like the worst had passed for the store's owners, the website began to experience crashes.

Between the night of April 10 and the morning of April 11, 2024, the PandaBuy site ceased functioning. It became impossible to make purchases, payments were not processed, and the stores of trusted partners began vanishing. People connected with PandaBuy said these issues were related to the police raiding the company's headquarters. Although the company's management has not released any official statement, customers are inclined to believe the version of events that involves an ongoing investigation.

At present, it's impossible to place orders on PandaBuy. Trusted stores have disappeared from the platform, moderation on the company's Discord servers is non-existent, and customer support is unresponsive. What should people who have recently placed an order on PandaBuy do? Opinions are divided. Some suggest initiating chargebacks through their banks, while others recommend waiting to see how the situation develops.