ACCC says asking e-commerce platforms to act is more effective than traditional enforcement, given operators are mostly overseas and difficult to identifyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s consumer regulator has put Shopify and Meta on notice, urging the e-commerce and social media platforms to take action against online “ghost stores” pretending to be local businesses in order to dupe shoppers.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Thursday issued a public warning about ghost stores and announced it had written to Shopify and Meta after an investigation by Guardian Australia identified more than 140 of these sites.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email