A professional-looking website is not proof that a shop is genuine. Scam stores can copy product photos, reviews and even the design of a familiar brand in a few hours.
Before paying, use the checks below to confirm who is selling, whether the offer makes sense and what protection your payment method gives you. No single green tick proves a shop is safe; look at the full picture.
Step 1: Check the address and how you reached the shop
Read the website address carefully before entering any details. Look for misspellings, extra words, unusual endings or a brand name placed inside a different domain. A padlock and HTTPS only protect the connection; they do not prove that the seller is honest.
Be especially careful when the shop came from a social-media advert, an unsolicited message or a sponsored search result. If it claims to be a known retailer, open that retailer's official app or type the familiar address yourself instead.
- Do not install an app, browser extension or remote-access program because a shop or seller tells you to.
- If a link opens a different domain at checkout, stop and confirm that the payment provider is one the retailer genuinely uses.
Step 2: Find the real business behind the website
Look for the legal business name, physical address, working contact details, delivery information, returns policy and terms. A contact form alone is weak evidence. Search the stated business name and registration details in the official company register for its country where possible.
Check whether the address belongs to a real business rather than an unrelated home, empty building or mailbox. Call a published number if the purchase is expensive, but find the number independently when possible.
- Copied legal pages can still look complete. Check whether the terms mention another company or website name.
- Poor spelling can be a warning, but perfect language does not prove legitimacy.
- A very new website is not automatically fraudulent, but it deserves extra caution, especially when it claims years of trading.
Step 3: Treat extreme prices and pressure as warnings
Compare the price with the manufacturer and several established retailers. A small discount is normal; a new, high-demand product at a fraction of the usual price often means counterfeit goods, no goods at all or hidden conditions.
Countdown timers, claims that hundreds of people are viewing the item and warnings that stock will disappear in minutes are designed to rush you. Leave the site and return later. A genuine purchase should survive a few minutes of checking.
- Read the full product description for subscriptions, refurbished condition, unusually small quantities or delivery from another country.
- Check the total cost at checkout, including delivery, tax, currency conversion and recurring payments.
Step 4: Check reviews outside the shop
Search for the shop name together with words such as 'review', 'scam', 'complaint' and 'refund'. Read several recent reviews from more than one source, including negative and middle-rated reviews. A page filled with vague five-star comments posted close together can be manufactured.
Look at how the business responds to delivery failures and refund problems. Remember that review sites and social-media accounts can also contain fake comments, so reviews support the other checks rather than replacing them.
- Reverse-image searching a product photo can reveal that it was copied from another retailer, but the same photo may also be used legitimately by resellers.
- A large follower count or a verified-looking badge is not enough; accounts and badges can be copied or compromised.
Step 5: Read delivery, return and warranty terms
Check where the item ships from, the estimated delivery time, who pays for returns and the address to which returns must be sent. For a costly product, confirm who provides the warranty and whether it is valid in your country.
A policy that is missing, contradictory or impossible to use is a reason to leave. Be cautious when a store presents itself as local but says returns must go overseas at your expense.
Step 6: Choose a payment method with protection
Use a credit card or a reputable payment service that offers a dispute process, where available. Your exact protection depends on the payment method, card issuer and country, so check the terms before a large purchase.
Avoid sellers who insist on bank transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash sent by post or payment to a personal account. These methods can be difficult or impossible to reverse. Never share a card PIN, online-banking password or one-time security code with a seller.
- Do not approve a banking notification unless its merchant and amount match the purchase you are making.
- Saving card details is optional. For an unfamiliar shop, do not save them, and do not create an account using a password you use elsewhere.
- A virtual or single-use card can limit exposure if your bank offers one, but it does not make a fraudulent seller legitimate or guarantee a refund.
Step 7: Keep evidence of the order
Before closing the page, save the order confirmation, product description, final price, promised delivery date and return terms. Keep emails and note how you contacted the seller. This evidence can help with a complaint or payment dispute.
Monitor the order using the carrier's official website or app. Delivery messages containing unexpected fees or links may be separate phishing attempts, even when you are waiting for a real parcel.
If you think you paid a scam shop
- Contact your bank or payment provider immediately using its official app or a trusted number. Explain what happened and ask about blocking the card and disputing the payment.
- If you reused a password, change it on the real accounts where it was used and enable two-factor authentication. Start with your email account.
- Watch your statements for small test charges as well as large ones, and report anything you do not recognise.
- Report the shop to your local consumer-protection or fraud-reporting service and to the platform where you saw the advert.
- Ignore people who contact you promising to recover the money for an upfront fee. Recovery scams often target people who have already lost money.
A quick checklist before you pay
- I opened the correct website and checked the full address.
- I found a verifiable business name, contact details and clear return terms.
- The price is believable and I was not rushed by a timer or message.
- I checked recent information from sources outside the seller's website.
- The final amount, currency, delivery time and any subscription are clear.
- I am using a payment method with a dispute process and have saved the order evidence.
If two or three parts of the shop do not add up, leave without paying. Finding the product elsewhere is easier than recovering money and card details from a fraudulent seller.
For help checking a specific shop, use Digital Checkup and send only its public web address. Do not include passwords, card details, order codes or one-time security codes.