Before buying from an unknown website, it is worth pausing for a few minutes. Many fraudulent stores imitate real brands, use HTTPS certificates, publish attractive offers and copy texts or images to look legitimate. To identify a website you should not buy from, you need to review several warning signs together.
In this article we will discuss...
Signs of a suspicious online store
- Prices that are too low: extreme discounts, products unavailable elsewhere or branded items at unrealistic prices.
- Missing legal information: no legal notice, privacy policy, terms of sale, tax details or real address.
- Unclear contact details: only a form, generic email, non-existent phone number or details that do not match the company.
- Strange domain: names similar to known brands, changed letters, unnecessary hyphens or recently created domains.
- Design or language errors: poor translations, empty sections, broken links or copied text.
- Unsafe payment methods: immediate bank transfer, cryptocurrency, irreversible payment methods or pressure to pay outside the platform.
- Doubtful reviews: excessively positive, repeated or recently published reviews.
Checklist before paying
- Search the store name together with words such as “reviews”, “scam” or “complaint”.
- Check that there is a legal notice, terms of sale, privacy policy and contact information.
- Verify that the domain exactly matches the official brand.
- Be cautious if the only payment method does not allow chargebacks or complaints.
- Read delivery times, returns, guarantees and additional costs.
- Do not enter card details if the website redirects strangely or shows errors.
- Keep receipts, screenshots and confirmation emails.
HTTPS does not mean the store is trustworthy
The browser padlock means the connection is encrypted, but it does not guarantee that the company is real or that the seller will deliver the product. Fraudulent websites can also use HTTPS. It is necessary, but not enough.
What to do if you already bought from a fraudulent website
Contact your bank or payment provider as soon as possible to try to block or dispute the charge. Change passwords if you reused them, review card movements and keep all evidence. If you provided personal data, watch for later phishing attempts.
In case of fraud, you can contact law enforcement, consumer protection bodies and cybersecurity support services such as INCIBE.
Recommended official sources
- INCIBE: safe online shopping.
- INCIBE: signs of fraudulent stores.
- INCIBE: how to avoid becoming a phishing victim.
Conclusion
Online shopping is safe when the store is legitimate and the payment is protected. The key is not to be carried away by urgency or discounts: check who is selling, how you can complain and what happens if the product never arrives.