Home / Fake shop websites
Fake shop websites before Black Friday
Ten signs that give a fake store away, a ten-second way to read its web address, and a card to keep by the phone.
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shop-name-deals.example/winter
Read the address
first
The web address gives most fake shops away. These four are made up and can't be opened.
https://shop-name-deals.example
1. Extra words
- Words like deals, offers or support stuck onto a name.
- A shop's own address doesn't need them.
https://shop-name.com.big-sale.example
2. A familiar name in front
- Read from the right: the real site is big-sale.example.
- The shop-name.com part is decoration.
https://shop-name-outlet.top
3. A throwaway ending
- Cheap endings turn up a lot on short-lived shop sites.
- Not proof alone, but weigh it with the rest.
https://shоp-name.example
4. Letters that look right
- The o is from another alphabet.
- It looks identical, so only a checker catches it.
Ten signs of a
fake shop
Tick each one that fits. Two or more means stop and check.
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The rule
Don't follow the ad. Type the shop's name yourself.
The two-minute test
- Read the web address from the right. Stop at the first name you reach after the ending. Is that the shop you expect?
- Open a separate tab and search for the shop's name with the word "reviews" or "scam".
- Look for a real company name, a postal address and a phone number.
- Pay by card, never by bank transfer, gift card, crypto or a money app.
- Keep the order page and confirmation email until the parcel arrives.
- If you already paid: contact your bank right away, say you paid a scammer and ask for a refund. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Quick answers
Can a fake shop have a padlock in the address bar?
Yes. The padlock only means the connection is private. It says nothing about who is on the other end, so judge the shop by its address, details and payment options.
How do I check a link without opening it?
Press and hold the link to copy it instead of tapping. Then paste it into the lookalike link checker, which reads the address on your device.
Is a shop that advertises on social media safe?
An ad only shows that someone paid for it. Open the shop by searching for its name, and run the same checks as for any other site.
What if I already paid a fake shop?
Contact your bank or card company right away, say you paid a scammer and ask for a refund. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and change any password you typed in.
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