A shop with prices half the market rate, good photographs and reviews. The order goes through, the money leaves, the goods never arrive, and the site vanishes in a week. The scheme is old but durable — because checking a shop takes two minutes and hardly anyone does it.
Signs of a fake shop
- A price far below market. Not ten percent below — half. The one sign that works almost every time.
- Payment only by transfer to a card or a phone number. A real shop accepts payment through a payment provider.
- No company details in the footer, or details that cannot be found anywhere.
- The domain is weeks old. Free to check in any whois service.
- Only a messenger for contact and no phone number.
- Pressure by deadline: “two left in stock”, “offer ends tonight”.
Domain age, company details in the footer, payment method. Three points, none of which requires any expertise.
How to pay
| Method | Can money be recovered | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Card through the shop's payment form | Yes — by disputing the transaction with your bank | An ordinary purchase |
| A payment service | Yes — it has its own dispute process | An unfamiliar shop |
| Cash on delivery | Not needed — you pay on receipt | When the shop raises doubts |
| Transfer to a personal card | Practically no | Do not use for purchases |
| Transfer by phone number | Practically no | Do not use for purchases |
| Cryptocurrency | No | Do not use for purchases |
A separate card for shopping
The most useful habit, and not the most obvious one.
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Open a virtual card
Most banks issue them free in a minute from the app.
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Keep zero on it
Top it up for a specific purchase. A leak of the card details from a shop then means nothing.
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Do not save the card in shops
The convenience of saving it means the details sit in dozens of databases, any of which may leak.
If the parcel never arrives
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Write to the seller and record the silence
Keep the conversation and a screenshot of the order: you will need them for the dispute.
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Open a dispute with your bank
Chargebacks work if you paid by card. The window is limited, so do not delay.
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Report it to the police
Even for a small amount: a single report rarely leads to a case, dozens of identical ones regularly do.
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Change the password if it was reused
The fake shop collected your address and password at sign-up. If it matched your email password, follow the leak procedure.