How to spot a fake online store

Why fake stores work

A fake online store looks like a real shop, advertises unbeatable prices, and takes your payment - then either ships nothing, sends a cheap counterfeit, or quietly keeps your card details. They often appear in social-media ads and disappear within weeks.

Warning signs of a scam shop

1. Prices that are too good to be true. 80% off the latest item is bait.
2. A brand-new website. Many scam shops are only days or weeks old. (Our Link Checker shows a domain's age.)
3. Only odd payment methods. Insistence on e-transfer, gift cards, wire, or crypto - with no credit-card option - is a red flag, because those payments are hard to reverse.
4. No real contact details. No address, no phone, or a contact form only. Check for a copied or missing returns policy.
5. Pressure tactics. Fake countdown timers and "only 2 left!" on every product.
6. Reviews that feel off. All five stars, posted the same week, in similar wording - or no reviews anywhere off the site.

Check before you pay

• Look up the store's name plus the word "scam" or "reviews." Real complaints surface fast.
• Check the domain. Paste the store's address into our Link Checker - a domain registered very recently, or a look-alike of a known brand, is a warning.
• Pay with a credit card. Cards offer the strongest chargeback protection if goods never arrive. Avoid e-transfer and gift cards with sellers you do not know.
• Look for real security. https and a padlock are the bare minimum - not proof of honesty. They protect the connection, not your purchase.

If you already paid

Contact your card issuer right away to dispute the charge, watch your statement for further charges, and keep all order confirmations and messages. Our I've been scammed guide walks through the rest.