The Rise of Fake Online Shops
Scam online shops are everywhere. They appear in social media ads, sponsored search results, and even direct messages. They offer designer goods at impossible prices, use stolen product photos from legitimate retailers, and either ship nothing, ship counterfeit junk, or — worst case — harvest your payment details for fraud.
These sites are cheap and fast to set up. A scammer can spin up a convincing-looking store in hours using templates, populate it with stolen product photos, run social media ads for a few days, collect payments, and disappear. By the time enough complaints accumulate, the domain is abandoned and a new one takes its place.
The Red Flags
1. Prices that are too good to be true
This is the most reliable signal. If a shop is selling £800 trainers for £89, a £2,000 laptop for £400, or designer handbags at 85% off, it’s almost certainly a scam. Legitimate sales rarely exceed 30-50% off, and never across an entire catalogue of luxury goods.
2. No real contact information
Legitimate businesses have a physical address, a phone number, and a company registration. Scam shops typically have none of these, or list a fake address. Search the address on Google Maps — if it’s a residential building or doesn’t exist, walk away.
3. Brand new domain
Check when the domain was registered using a WHOIS lookup (search “WHOIS” + the domain). If the site was registered in the last few months and claims to be an established retailer, that’s a major red flag.
4. Stolen product images
Right-click any product image and select “Search image with Google” (or use Google Lens). If the same images appear on dozens of other sites, especially well-known retailers, the scam shop has simply copied them.
5. Poor grammar and inconsistent branding
Scam shops are often operated from overseas and use machine translation or poorly written English. Look for awkward phrasing, inconsistent fonts, mismatched logos, and placeholder text (“Lorem ipsum” or generic descriptions like “This product is very good quality”).
6. Suspicious payment methods
Be wary of shops that only accept bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or obscure payment processors. These methods offer no buyer protection. Legitimate shops accept credit cards and PayPal because they can handle chargebacks — scammers avoid them for exactly that reason.
Social Media Ads — The Main Distribution Channel
Most scam shop victims find these sites through social media ads, particularly on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The platforms’ ad verification is minimal — anyone can run ads with a credit card, and scam shops typically operate for just long enough to turn a profit before being reported.
Red flags in social media ads specifically:
- The ad account was created recently and has few followers
- Comments are disabled or all suspiciously positive
- The “Shop Now” link goes to a domain you’ve never heard of
- The ad uses emotional triggers (“Last day of sale!”, “Only 3 left!”)
- Customer review screenshots in the ad look uniform or templated
How to Verify a Shop Before Buying
Before entering any payment details on an unfamiliar site, run through this quick checklist:
- Search “[shop name] reviews” or “[shop name] scam” — if others have been burned, you’ll find warnings on forums, Reddit, and review sites.
- Check the domain age with a WHOIS lookup. Established retailers have domains registered years ago.
- Look for a returns policy — read it carefully. Scam shops either have no returns policy, or one that makes returns practically impossible.
- Verify the company registration — in the UK, check Companies House. A legitimate online retailer will be registered.
- Reverse image search their product photos. If they’re stolen from other sites, it’s a scam.
What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed
If you’ve already purchased from a scam shop:
- Contact your bank or credit card provider immediately and request a chargeback. The sooner you do this, the better your chances of recovery.
- If you paid via PayPal, open a dispute through the PayPal Resolution Centre.
- Report the site to Action Fraud (UK) or the FTC (US).
- Change your password if you created an account on the scam site, especially if you reuse that password elsewhere.
- Monitor your bank statements for unauthorised transactions over the following weeks.
Browse With Confidence
Web Marshall checks every site you visit against a database of 2 million+ known domains from 195 countries — flagging dangerous sites before they can do damage. Coming soon for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if an online shop is a scam?
Red flags include unrealistically low prices, no physical address or phone number, a recently registered domain, copied product images, poor grammar, and only accepting bank transfer or cryptocurrency.
Can I get my money back?
If you paid by credit card, contact your provider for a chargeback — you have legal protection under Section 75 (UK). PayPal also offers buyer protection. Bank transfers and crypto are much harder to recover.
Are social media ads for cheap products always scams?
Not always, but social media is the primary channel for scam shops because ad verification is minimal. Be especially cautious with ads for luxury goods at steep discounts from shops you’ve never heard of. Always research independently before purchasing.