Ever found a bargain online? New sneakers, a trending toy or gadget, or collectibles may appear on non-branded websites with price tags that seem too good to be true. Finding something you love online at an amazing price is a great feeling.
Unfortunately, scammers use that feeling to prey on unsuspecting shoppers. Online shop scams rely on that “bargain hunter” instinct to lure in anyone looking to save a few dollars. Orders are placed but never arrive, and the site itself may disappear a few days later.
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Discover how to avoid online shop scams and stay safer when shopping online.
How Online Shop Scams Work
Online shop scams usually start with an ad on another platform, often on social media. Some may even set up entire social media accounts to promote their “goods.” The hook is usually a cool or trending item that’s on offer or on sale. There may be a sense of urgency, such as “Last few remaining,” or “Price goes up tomorrow.”
The shopper browses to the site, which may seem legitimate. They buy a product, but they’ll never receive it. The fake online store is there simply to collect money and will likely vanish shortly.
Generative AI has made it quicker and easier to create fake online shops. With a few prompts, scammers can create a catalog of fake items and descriptions, making the shop seem even more legitimate.
Spotting Fake Online Shops
Several red flags can alert you to the fact that an online shop is a scam:
- Web addresses containing brand names like Nike or Adidas
- Poor grammar and spelling, although Gen AI is now used to circumvent this
- Prices that are simply not available anywhere else
- A lack of contact information
- No customer reviews
- The site has very little content other than products for sale
You can check how long a web address has been in use by using a domain name checker, such as who. is. These types of checkers show you who registered the website and when. Very new sites should always be avoided as they’re likely set up solely to scam shoppers.
Where there is no contact information on the site, you know that there’s no way to get in touch with the retailer in case of a problem. Even if the shop is legitimate, the best practice is to avoid companies with no way to contact them. Similarly, a “no refunds” policy is a red flag.
You should also avoid any retailer that asks for payment via bank transfer. Most legitimate stores will take card payments, which are better protected if something goes wrong.
Stay Informed to Protect Yourself from Online Shop Scams
Always check independent review sites and watch out for reviews that all read the same. These are often AI-generated. See if there are reviews with photos where people show the goods they’ve received and say how long it took for them to arrive.
You can also keep yourself up to date with the latest shopping scams by signing up for Scam Detector’s Scam Alerts. There’s also the Scam Detector Website Validator, which allows you to check the legitimacy of a retail site before you buy. Shop with confidence when you know what scams are out there and how to avoid them.
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When my sweet old grandmother got caught up in an Amazon gift card scam, I decided then and there that I needed to do whatever I could to inform as many people as possible about the grifters of the world. That’s what I do here – writing about modern scams so you don’t get caught out.
Thank you for watching out for us, especially us senior citizens. I did make a purchase from a post on Facebook but several minutes later I was notified of 2 more charges to my bank account so I called my bank and they were able to stop payment for 2 of the charges but one had already been paid. Now I don’t order anything from ads on Facebook or any other site!