How to Spot Fake Websites and Avoid Fake Shopping Sites

• By Jennysis Lajom
• 02-07-2025
• Technology

The internet has revolutionized how we interact, purchase, and live. However, it has also facilitated the entry of cybercriminals who seek to exploit our trust. Fake websites are ubiquitous and appear identical to the legitimate websites you are familiar with and trust.

The internet has completely transformed the way we live, purchase things, and communicate with one another. However, this has also put hackers in a position to take advantage of our faith in them. There are fake websites everywhere that imitate the appearance of authentic websites that you are familiar with and trust.

Being able to identify fraudulent websites is more than simply a talent; it's an absolute need. Learn how to save yourself time, energy, and hassle by verifying a website before you buy online, whether it's for a s present or to access your bank account.

What Are Fake Shopping Sites?

Fraudulent websites, intended to deceive customers into believing they are authentic, are known as fake shopping websites. They often imitate well-known stores or provide fantastic discounts. Their objective is to steal identities, obtain credit card information, or defraud people out of their money.

There are typically three types of fake shopping sites:

• Clone Sites: These sites resemble legitimate ones, such as Amazon, eBay, or a designer brand's online store.
• Fake Brand Stores: These pose as official online stores for luxury brands, often offering items at unrealistically low prices.
• Phishing Shops: They pretend to sell products or services to obtain a customer's credit card number, email account details, address, and other personal information.

Ways to Spot Fake Websites

Check the URL

Checking the URL is one of the easiest methods to recognize a bogus website. To avoid detection, fraudsters subtly change the spelling of popular domain names. They may replace the "o" in amazon.com with a zero to create amaz0n.com. The URL might become amazon.org or amazon-shop.net by changing the domain extension from .com to .org, .net, or any lesser-known extension.

When you're in a rush, it's easy to overlook these small adjustments. That's why you should always double-check the URL before providing any sensitive information or completing a payment.

Never click on a link without first seeing its whole URL; to prevent being tricked by search engine results, always input trustworthy URLs directly into your browser. You can secure yourself from becoming a victim of a scam by paying close attention to detail and being vigilant for discrepancies or anything that doesn't add up.

Unreliable domain history

It is likely that fake shopping site domain names have only recently been registered for a short time, and their creation often occurs in the days leading up to major holidays and major shopping events.

When we return to the example of Vivobarefoot, a brief check of the legal firm's domain reveals that it was established more than 18 years ago, which is not surprising given its well-known brand status. On the other hand, the website accused of being a copycat was only established eight months before our search.

Typos and bad grammar

In most cases, legitimate businesses have a team of editors responsible for reviewing the content of their websites before they are launched.

People who engage in fraudulent activities on the internet often lack the time or expertise to craft persuasive sales copy.

Although some of them steal a significant amount of material from legitimate websites, the majority are prone to making glaring errors in grammar and spelling.

Poor website design

Scammers may now build e-commerce sites without the help of engineers and designers. Users can create their online stores with just a few clicks using website builders and marketplaces like Shopify.

However, con artists are usually on the move and don't want to waste time building a phony e-commerce site, as it might be taken down if caught. Because of this, they often opt for inexpensive, basic website themes that have just the right amount of functionality to deceive people into thinking they're the genuine article.

Enjoy browsing the site the next time you make an online purchase. Browse the site at your leisure and make a note of anything that stands out on the homepage. A poorly constructed sitemap, an oversimplified design, or both might be a telltale indicator of inauthenticity.

Limited contact details

Please verify the physical address, support email address, and phone number of the online seller before making a purchase. This is necessary if you have any questions or issues about your transaction.

Your doubts should be raised if the website provides a contact form that requires you to fill out the information, if the email address for customer support is a personal Yahoo or Gmail account rather than a business one, or if the contact details are not provided at all.

Non-existent return and refund policy

Retailers that you can trust are transparent about their return and refund policies. It helps them follow the rules for protecting their customer rights.

However, fraudsters do not usually utilize the return policies stated on websites, even if they do decide to add one.

Be cautious to familiarize yourself with the return policy of an online merchant before making any purchases from that company. Does it make sense to you, and does it meet the standards you set as a customer? If the return policy of a website is in any way unclear or confusing, you should immediately exit that website.

Real online stores should also include a shipping policy and fundamental legal information, such as terms and conditions, a privacy policy, and a policy on how they collect and use data. The site is probably a hoax if you can't discover this information.

Check the domain age

False websites tend to remain up for only a short time. By looking up the domain's activation date in the Whois Lookup database, you may determine if a website is legitimate or not.

You can view information such as the domain's age, the country of registration, and the owner's organization name by entering the website's URL. If the company's Whois Lookup inquiry indicates that they're in another nation, yet their website claims to be registered in the United States, it's likely a phony.

Be wary of deals

Scammers are aware of your willingness to let your guard up in exchange for a tempting offer.

If you're going to make an online purchase, be cautious of shady sites that claim to have deals. These phony online stores will either take your money or ship you low-quality imitations of the things you were looking for.

A major rule is that if a website displays prices discounted by 50% or more, one should verify its authenticity to ensure it is not a fraudulent site. For instance, validate it using a website checker, examine for spelling and grammatical errors, and assess the domain's age and information against the provided details.

Bad social media platforms

Since social media is an excellent platform for advertising goods and services, it's no surprise that the majority of legitimate companies have a presence on these platforms. The likelihood of an online store being fraudulent increases if it does not prominently display its social media presence or if the icons that appear on its site don't link to any relevant platforms.

In the case of the Vivobarefoot scam site, for instance, clicking on the social network buttons at the footer of the page only allows you to share the site's URL.

Additionally, monitor internet reviews provided by other users about the site in issue. Scammers often publish fraudulent evaluations on their websites to enhance their credibility; nevertheless, in the case of more entrenched scams, one may encounter a plethora of adverse reviews from prior victims scattered around Google or Trustpilot.

How to Avoid Fake Websites

Be careful about where you click.

It is best to avoid clicking on links included in emails, text messages, or social media platform postings, as they may potentially direct you to fraudulent websites. Instead, go to the merchant's website by entering their URL into the address bar of your browser.

Avoid pop-up windows

Watch out for websites that inundate you with an excessive amount of pop-up advertisements, particularly if they seem to have no connection to the things that you are looking at.

Protect Your Credit

Make a security hold on your credit reports if you're worried about identity theft. If you do this, fraudsters will be less likely to create fake accounts in your name. To begin, contact the three leading credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Another option is to set up a fraud alert, which would require financial institutions to verify your identification before approving any new credit in your name.

Scrutinize the website

Be alert for signs that a website is not authentic, such as domain names that are not commonly used, a poorly designed website, grammatical errors, or low-quality photographs.

Keep informed about scams

Stay informed about common online shopping scams and any new tactics that scammers may employ. To stay informed, you can frequently find materials on consumer protection websites and through government authorities.

Keep Software and Antivirus Updated

Security tools help detect potentially malicious websites and prevent malware infections. Your computer virus protection software should be regularly updated.

Stay Vigilant

Be sure to keep a careful eye on your accounts during the next several months. Con artists may save your information and utilize it at a later time when you are least expecting it. If you are concerned about the appearance of your personal information on the internet, consider using Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection, which monitors your information and notifies you in real time.

Final Thoughts

The internet is an excellent convenience tool, but it also comes with its share of risks. With numerous fake shopping websites available, knowing how to protect yourself against them can save you both time and money.

Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. Thoroughly inspect websites and ensure you use reliable tools and websites for your online shopping. A little extra effort in due diligence can keep you away from months of anxiety, monetary loss, and identity theft.