An online shopping scam is a fake store or listing that takes your money and either sends nothing, sends a counterfeit, or steals your card details. The red flags: prices far below market, pressure to pay by bank transfer or crypto, no verifiable contact details, and ads promising luxury goods at impossible discounts.
How fake stores operate
A fake store can use copied designs and product photographs to look familiar. An advertisement is not an endorsement by the platform carrying it. Possible outcomes include:
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You receive nothing — the order never arrives.
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You receive a cheap knockoff — the delivered item is not what was advertised.
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Your payment details are harvested — and sold on the dark web.
Fraudulent sites can disappear or reappear under new names. A lack of complaints about a new domain is inconclusive, and an old domain can change hands.
How to check an unfamiliar store
Before entering payment details on any unfamiliar site:
- 1.
Check the domain age — domain history can reveal inconsistencies, but a new business can be genuine and an old domain can be acquired. Treat age as a clue, not a verdict.
- 2.
Search "[site name] + scam + reviews" — check Reddit, Trustpilot, and Sitejabber.
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Look for real contact information — a physical address, phone number, and email. Google the address.
- 4.
Check the URL carefully — scammers use misspellings (amaz0n, paypai) or extra words (nike-official-store.com).
- 5.
Look for HTTPS — but don't trust it alone. Scam sites have SSL certificates too.
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Read the return policy — vague or missing return policies are a major red flag.
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Pay with a credit card — never wire transfer, gift cards, or crypto. Credit cards offer chargeback protection.
Payment protection is a fallback, not proof of a genuine seller. A fraudulent store can accept cards. Credit cards and eligible protected purchases may offer dispute routes, but coverage and deadlines vary. Avoid being pushed off a marketplace’s payment system, read the relevant protection terms and keep records. The FTC’s shopping guidance explains what to check, and our card-dispute guide explains the next step if goods do not arrive.
Facebook Marketplace and peer-to-peer scams
Marketplace scam patterns include:
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Payment before meeting — never pay until you've inspected the item in person.
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Fake payment confirmations — screenshots showing "payment sent" that never actually clear.
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Shipping scams — seller ships an empty box or a different item.
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Overpayment scam — buyer sends a check for more than the asking price, asks you to refund the difference (the original check bounces).
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Fake rental listings — properties that don't exist or aren't actually for rent.
Meet in person in public places. Use platform-integrated payment when available. Never share banking details. If the deal seems too good, search the listing images via reverse image search. Hit by a fake store or seller? Here's where to report it.
Rental listings also need independent verification. Confirm that the person is authorized to rent the property and use an appropriate viewing and contract process before paying. Photographs and a plausible address do not establish that authority.
Research and educational guidance by Peter. Sources and material corrections are linked on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed 23 September 2026. We corrected overbroad verification and recovery claims during our launch-content review. See the corrections log for the material changes.
Sources & References
Every statistic in this guide is sourced from verified organizations. Click to verify any claim.
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