How Scammers Target the Jewellery Industry: Real Cases from RapNet and CaratLane. These cases highlight the need for digital brand protection. Don’t wait for damage, learn how to spot and stop brand misuse early.

In a world where luxury meets digital convenience, the jewellery industry has embraced technology like never before. From global B2B platforms facilitating diamond trading to online retail outlets offering fine jewellery at your fingertips. The entire ecosystem now lives in a connected, fast-moving, digital-first environment.

But with this convenience comes an invisible threat: cybercriminals are now actively targeting the jewellery industry with scams that don’t just steal data, they hijack trust.

Over the past year, we’ve seen a surge in brand abuse, fake websites & mobile applications, phishing scams, and fake social media profiles with even trusted names like RapNet and CaratLane falling prey. These attacks are highly convincing, difficult to detect, and capable of damaging both brand equity and customer trust within hours.

Let’s dive into two real-world cases that expose how such scams unfold and why every brand, big or small, must now prioritise proactive brand protection.

RapNet is a globally recognized platform connecting thousands of diamond traders and jewelers. Its reputation is built on trust, exclusivity, and secure access. That’s exactly why it became a target.

What Happened?

We uncovered several unauthorized mobile apps impersonating RapNet. These apps were distributed through unofficial channels, including grey-market app stores and APK-sharing sites, and closely mimicked the branding, interface, and purpose of the real RapNet app.

But behind the scenes, these apps were designed to:

• Harvest login credentials and trade information
• Monitor and steal what traders are searching for on the platform
• Redirect users to malicious portals posing as secure interfaces
• Install surveillance spyware to spy on what users are looking at

This wasn’t a simple imitation; it was an organized effort to infiltrate the diamond trading community under the guise of a trusted brand.

Evidence Screenshots:

• Yet another fake app is being hosted on a site posing as RapNet

• One more unofficial site is hosting a malicious copy of the RapNet app.

CaratLane — A TATA Product is one of India’s most trusted jewellery brands, widely respected for its digital presence and customer experience. Its credibility and brand strength, however, also make it a valuable target for cybercriminals.

What Happened?

Our investigation uncovered a fraudulent version of the CaratLane app being circulated on GameLoop, a third-party Android emulator platform. The counterfeit app falsely claimed to offer a PC-compatible experience and lured users into downloading a suspicious executable file: TGBDownloader.exe

Once downloaded, the file:

• Was flagged by multiple antivirus engines on VirusTotal
• Showed signs of system-level manipulation and spyware behavior
• Could access user data or run background surveillance
• Exploited the brand name of CaratLane to appear legitimate

This wasn’t a harmless imitation — it was a deliberate attack on user trust and system security, masked behind a well-known brand.

Why It Matters

This case highlights the real-world risks of brand impersonation:

• Customers are misled, believing they’re engaging with an official product
• Malware infections can compromise user data and financial assets
• Brand reputation takes a hit, with long-term trust erosion

It reinforces the need for brands to actively monitor third-party platforms and enforce digital brand protection strategies before these scams harm their audience.

Evidence Screenshots:

1. Fake CaratLane app listings mimicking official branding on emulator stores

2. Distribution page encouraging download via a suspicious installer

3. Another installer file impersonating CaratLane

4. VirusTotal scan showing multiple security flags for TGBDownloader.exe

These visuals clearly show how unsuspecting users could be tricked — and how closely fraudsters can replicate real apps.

The motivations are clear:

• Scalability: It’s cheap and easy to clone an app or spoof a brand.
• Distribution: Social media, messaging apps, and third-party app stores make it easy to reach victims.
• Exploitation of trust: Consumers and traders naturally trust the brands they deal with daily.
• Low visibility: Most brands aren’t monitoring third-party platforms or dark web sources for brand misuse.

These fake campaigns are not isolated incidents — they’re part of a larger trend where digital impersonation has become a business model for cybercriminals.

For the victims:

• Data and financial losses
• Compromised devices
• Loss of confidence in digital platforms

For the brand:

• Reputational damage and loss of customer trust
• Increased customer complaints and support overhead
• Regulatory risks (especially for financial or trading platforms)
• Unintended legal liabilities

Even when the brand isn’t directly responsible, the fallout lands at their door.

The digital battlefield is no longer just about internal firewalls and antivirus software. Brands now need external visibility across:

• App stores and APK repositories
• Fake domains and lookalike websites
• Social media impersonation
• Dark web breach exposures

This is where ThreatWatch360 comes in.

ThreatWatch360 is built specifically for digital brand protection and cyber intelligence. Our solutions include:

• Monitoring and takedown of fake apps across known and grey app marketplaces
• Detection of phishing websites, job scams, and domain impersonations
• Scanning for brand misuse across social platforms and the dark web
• Data breach detection
• Early warning alerts when a campaign is about to go live

We help brands detect threats before their customers become victims — and we act fast to take malicious content offline.

The jewellery industry has always relied on reputation, trust, and legacy. But in the digital age, that legacy must be defended not just in your operations, but across the internet.

The attacks on RapNet and CaratLane are not outliers. They are warnings.

If you are not watching your brand online, someone else might be using it against you.

Want to see how your brand is being used or misused online?

Request a Brand Risk CTI Report from ThreatWatch360.

Contact us via [email protected]

Let’s secure the future of digital trust in the jewellery industry.