BOSTON -- Sometimes turning to the Internet can be your best bet in the hunt for bargains.

But, Team 5 Investigates discovered, when you shop online, no matter how well you think you protect yourself, you could be lulled into a web of deceit, before you even realize you've been had.

NewsCenter 5's Susan Wornick reported that Cynthia Marciello of Somerville was thrilled to find Louis Vuitton bags online for discounted prices. The Web site Purse4Less insisted they were authentic bags.

"I didn't want to buy a fake. And they e-mailed me back saying, 'You don't have to worry about it,'" Marciello said.

So Marciello paid more than $500 for a bag that retails for well over $800 and got a complimentary wallet. But after noticing a defect, she took it to a Louis Vuitton store and discovered that both items were fake.

"The salesperson told me that it was fake," she said. "She said the wallet was a cheap fake."

Experts at the Louis Vuitton store in Copley Place told Team 5 the same thing -- neither the bag nor the wallet were its merchandise.

Marciello couldn't get a refund, and Purse4Less refused calling her "cheap." Marciello said the Web site told her, "We plan to file suit against you ... This is our final replies (sic)."

This is hardly the response you would expect from a respectable business, so Team 5 investigated and found that Purse4Less is not as it appears.

Team 5 discovered the Web site is registered to Marc Giovanni in Los Angeles. But the telephone number isn't valid, and there is no listing in directory assistance. The only way to contact the company is through e-mail. When Team 5 e-mailed the Web site, customer care said, "We did not force this customer to shop from us and she was not deceived in any way."

U.S. Customs said counterfeit e-commerce is a growing concern because consumers like Marciello are buying products sight unseen.

"It's a really easy way for illegitimate businesses to get their product to the customer, and it makes it much harder for law enforcement to track them down," said Therese Randazzo of U.S. Customs.

It's hard because scam artists operate around the world. Marciello's bag came from Hong Kong. U.S. Customs has a special task force dedicated to e-commerce fraud. In the meantime, they warn consumers that the safest way to buy expensive merchandise is not online.

"I'm disgusted by it. It's not right. I wish I could get my money back," said Marciello.

In fact, after Team 5 got involved, Purse4Less did agree to refund Marciello's money, once she sent the bag and wallet back to China at her own expense.

U.S. Customs said they have a long list of complaints about companies like Purse4Less currently under investigation.