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A study by IP protection firm Podqi found that AI chatbots can direct shoppers to imposter and risky retail websites, The Verge reported on November 12, 2026. Researchers asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity shopping questions about 151 brands, including Lululemon, Birkenstock, Stüssy, Madhappy and Le Creuset, over two testing periods in September. Across 6,795 answers, all three engines cited or showed risky sites, defined as fake sites impersonating retailers or selling knockoffs, reregistered old brand domains, or dead sites that someone else could buy. Perplexity showed risky sites in 15 percent of answers, ChatGPT in 8 percent and Gemini in 4 percent. ChatGPT warned users about risky sites most often, in 24 percent of cases. Smaller brands appeared at higher risk, with risky sites appearing about half as often for larger companies. Podqi CEO Trevor West advised shoppers to verify a source before entering personal or credit card information. Google and OpenAI said they are working to improve their models and safeguards, and Perplexity said it aims for accuracy. The findings suggest shoppers using chatbots for product research could land on unsafe sites. The Verge reported that the risk could grow ahead of the holiday shopping season, as more consumers may use AI to shop, including from brands or sites they do not already know. In one conversation, Perplexity named the wrong page as Stüssy's official website.