Fake online shops: too good to be true

Designer clothes at 70 percent off, a games console that is sold out everywhere. You pay, but nothing ever arrives.

1How they do it

1. The online shop looks real: nice photos, reviews, a quality label. It is all copied.
2. You find it through an advert on social media.
3. You pay, often by bank transfer or an unusual payment method.
4. Nothing arrives, or a cheap fake. The site disappears after a few weeks.

2A real example

"Closing down sale! Everything -70%. Only 3 left." The company is 2 weeks old and has no address.

3How to spot it

• Prices that are far too low.
• No real address, phone number or company number.
• Only bank transfer or crypto as a way to pay.

4How to protect yourself

• Search for the shop's name together with the word "scam" or "reviews".
• Pay by credit card or with a service that offers buyer protection.
• Check the address and company number.

Suspicious number, email or website? Check it or report it.

Examples have been made unrecognisable. Names and numbers in the examples are made up.

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