How to Spot a Fake Online Shop in Two Minutes
Six checks — domain age, payment options, contact details, reviews, prices and returns policy — that catch almost every scam store.
Short answer: Pay by card or a protected wallet, never by bank transfer. Then check three things: how old the domain is, whether there is a real postal address and company number, and whether the returns policy names a physical return address. A shop failing any two of those is not worth the risk, no matter how good the price looks.
Fake shops are cheap to build and are usually retired within weeks, which is why the age of the domain is the single most useful signal. A store selling established brands at 70% off, registered eleven days ago, is not a bargain.
The six checks
- Domain age: a WHOIS lookup takes ten seconds. Under three months for a 'long-established' shop is a red flag.
- Payment: card, PayPal or Apple/Google Pay give you chargeback rights. Bank transfer and crypto do not.
- Identity: a real company number, VAT number and postal address that is not a residential flat or a mailbox.
- Reviews: read the negative ones on independent platforms, not the testimonial slider on the site itself.
- Prices: consistent 60-80% discounts across unrelated brands mean the stock does not exist.
- Returns: a policy that never names where to send goods back is a policy you cannot use.
| Signal | Safe | Risky |
|---|---|---|
| Payment method | Card, PayPal | Transfer, crypto, gift card |
| Domain age | Over a year | Days or weeks |
| Contact | Address + company number | Web form only |
| Discount pattern | Selected lines | Everything, always |
If something already went wrong
Start the chargeback, change any password you reused on the site, and report the domain to your national consumer authority. Screenshot the order page and confirmation email before the shop disappears — most do.
Want to go further? Read our guide on How to Cut Your Weekly Food Waste Without a System or browse everything in Money.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a padlock icon mean the shop is genuine?
- No. HTTPS only means the connection is encrypted. Scam shops get free certificates like everyone else.
- Are marketplace listings safer?
- Usually, because the marketplace mediates disputes — but only if you pay and message inside the platform.
- What if the goods arrive but are counterfeit?
- That is still a chargeback case. Keep the packaging and photograph the differences from the official product.
Sources & references
About the author
Elena Marsh
Senior Editor, Money & Consumer
Elena has covered personal finance and consumer rights for over a decade. She translates dense financial rules into steps readers can act on the same day.
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