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Online shopping and fake stores
Learn online shopping scam warning signs, including fake stores, too-good deals, suspicious reviews, missing policies, and orders that never arrive.
Reviewed June 7, 2026
Quick answer
An online store may be risky if the deal is unusually cheap, the seller has little history, reviews look suspicious, or checkout requires hard-to-reverse payments.
Check the seller and product before buying, save records, and use a credit card when possible because it gives stronger dispute protections.
How fake online stores make deals look real
Online shopping scams often start with ads, social posts, marketplace listings, or search results for products people already want. The store may show polished photos, countdown timers, big discounts, and fake reviews. It may also hide contact details, return policies, or shipping information.
Before buying, search the seller name with complaint, review, or scam, and compare prices across trusted stores. Paying by credit card gives stronger dispute rights than gift cards, crypto, wire transfers, or payment apps. Online shopping scams often overlap with package delivery texts and fake refund messages after a purchase.
What it may look like
"Flash sale: designer shoes 90% off today only. Pay by payment app or crypto now before the inventory disappears."
Signs to slow down
- The price is far below other sellers or the sale countdown creates pressure.
- The website has limited contact information, copied product photos, or a domain that looks slightly off.
- Reviews are all perfect, vague, repeated, or only from one place.
- The seller insists on gift cards, wire transfer, payment apps, or cryptocurrency.
- Shipping, return, or refund policies are missing, confusing, or too good to be true.
What to do next
- Search the company or product name with complaint, review, or scam.
- Check shipping, return, and refund policies before paying.
- Pay by credit card when possible.
- Keep the receipt, product description, order date, and seller messages.
- If the order never arrives, contact the seller and then dispute the charge with your card issuer if needed.
How to report it
- Keep receipts, order pages, product descriptions, shipping promises, and seller messages.
- Contact the seller and then dispute the charge with your card issuer if an order never arrives or is not as promised.
- Report fake online stores and shopping scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the marketplace or platform.
How Olevo can help
Olevo can help you check an online store message or payment request before you buy.
Paste the ad, email, checkout message, or seller text. Screenshots of a store page or payment instructions can be reviewed with Detailed Review.
Trusted sources
Online Shopping
Federal Trade Commission
FTC guidance recommends checking sellers before buying, saving purchase records, reviewing shipping policies, and paying by credit card when possible.
Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams
Federal Trade Commission
FTC guidance says anyone who demands payment by gift card is trying to scam you.
How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Federal Trade Commission
FTC guidance explains common phishing signs and recommends reporting attempts to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Common questions
Does https mean an online store is legitimate?
No. Encryption protects information in transit, but the FTC warns that scammers can use encrypted websites too.
Why is paying by credit card safer?
Credit cards usually give stronger dispute rights if an order never arrives, is billed incorrectly, or something else goes wrong.
What should I save after buying online?
Keep the company name, website, order date, receipt, product description, shipping promise, and messages with the seller.
What should I do if an online order never arrives?
Contact the seller first, keep records, and dispute the charge with your credit card issuer if the seller does not resolve the problem.