Types of online scams
The scams that target online shoppers, grouped by how they work. Each one explains the mechanics, the signals you can check before you pay, and what to do if it already happened.
Fake and copycat shops
Storefronts built to take an order and never ship it — and how to tell one from a small shop that is simply new.
How to Spot a Fake Online Shop: 9 Warning Signs
Learn how to spot a fake online store before you buy. Check the domain, payment options, reviews, contact details and more with this quick guide.
Read the guide →How to Tell If an Online Store Is Dropshipping
Spot dropshipping stores before you buy: reverse-image tricks, shipping-policy red flags, why orders ship from China, and what to do if you already paid.
Read the guide →What 2,000 checked online stores have in common: scam shop data (2026)
HasTrust assessed 2,061 doubted online stores. High-risk shops sit on domains a median 254 days old vs 26 years for trusted ones; under 90 days is high risk 91% of the time.
Read the guide →Why Too-Good-to-Be-True Prices Are a Trap
That 70%-off deal on a store you've never heard of? Learn what a fake bargain hides and how to check a shop in two minutes before you pay.
Read the guide →Marketplaces and resale platforms
Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Vinted, StockX: the platform is real, the seller beside you may not be.
Are Amazon Return Pallets Legit? Avoid Liquidation Scams
Amazon return pallets are real, but many pallet ads are scams. Learn where legit pallets are sold, the red flags to check, and how to buy safely.
Read the guide →Fake Amazon Storefronts: How to Spot a Copycat Site
Scam sites copy Amazon listings, photos and prices to look real. Learn the checkable signs of a fake Amazon storefront and what to do before you pay.
Read the guide →Is It Safe to Buy From Third-Party Sellers on Amazon?
Most Amazon third-party sellers are legit, but not all. Learn the exact checks to run before you buy and how the A-to-z Guarantee protects your money.
Read the guide →Is This Amazon Seller Legit? How to Check Before You Buy
How to vet a third-party Amazon seller in minutes: feedback score, business details, red flags in the listing, and what to do if an order goes wrong.
Read the guide →Is This Facebook Marketplace Seller a Scam? 8 Signs
Worried a Facebook Marketplace seller is a scam? Learn the 8 red flags to check before you pay, the common scam variants, and what to do if you paid.
Read the guide →Is Walmart Marketplace Safe? How to Vet Third-Party Sellers
Walmart Marketplace is generally safe, but third-party sellers vary. Learn how to spot who you're really buying from, vet a seller, and get your money back.
Read the guide →Marketplace Scams: Facebook, Vinted & eBay Safety Guide
Spot Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and eBay scams before you pay. Checkable red flags, safe payment rules and what to do if you're targeted.
Read the guide →Triangulation Fraud: How the Scam Works & What to Do
How triangulation fraud uses your card to pay for someone else's order, the red flags to check before you buy, and the exact steps to take if it happened.
Read the guide →Payments, refunds and getting money back
Which payment methods can be reversed, which cannot, and what to do the moment you think you have been had.
PayPal Friends and Family Scam: Seller Red Flag Explained
Why a seller asking you to pay via PayPal Friends and Family is a scam red flag: what you lose, how the trick works, and what to do if you already paid.
Read the guide →Seller Only Accepts Zelle, Bank Transfer or Gift Cards?
Sellers who only take Zelle, bank transfer or gift cards show a classic scam red flag. Learn why, how to check a store, and what to do if you already paid.
Read the guide →Which payment methods have buyer protection? Card, PayPal, bank transfer, BNPL and crypto compared
What you can actually get back when a shop does not deliver, per payment method: credit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple and Google Pay, buy-now-pay-later, bank transfer, crypto and gift cards.
Read the guide →Scam messages and fake deliveries
The texts, emails and calls that arrive around an order — real or invented.
Brushing Scam: Why You Got a Package You Didn't Order
Received a mystery package you never ordered? Learn how brushing scams work, whether your data is at risk, and the exact steps to take next.
Read the guide →Customs Fee Scam: The Delivery Charge That Unlocks a Parcel
How the customs fee and re-delivery charge scam works, the courier and gold-bar variants, the red flags to check before paying, and what to do if you paid.
Read the guide →Fake Order Confirmation Emails: Real or Scam? How to Tell
Got a 'your order has shipped' email you don't recognize? Learn the telltale signs of fake order confirmations and how to safely check if a receipt is real.
Read the guide →Fake USPS, DHL & PostNL Delivery Texts: How to Spot Them
Learn to spot fake USPS, DHL and PostNL delivery texts and emails, avoid the scam link, and know what to do if you already clicked.
Read the guide →Is This Customer Service Number Real? Spot Fake Support
Fake customer service numbers trick shoppers into paying scammers. Learn how to verify a support line, spot red flags on the call, and find the real number.
Read the guide →Counterfeits and product quality
When the shop ships, but what arrives is fake, unsafe, or nothing like the listing.
How to Spot Counterfeit Products Before You Buy Online
Learn the warning signs of fake products online: seller checks, price red flags, photo and review tricks, and what to do if you already paid.
Read the guide →How to Spot Fake Reviews Before You Buy
Learn to spot fake reviews with checkable signals: reviewer profiles, timing patterns, wording, star spread, and free tools to verify any store.
Read the guide →Subscriptions, fees and hidden costs
Free trials that bill, cashback that never pays out, and charges that appear after checkout.
Charged After a Free Trial? How to Stop Subscription Traps
Unexpected charge after a free trial? Learn how to spot subscription traps, cancel fast, dispute the charge with your bank, and block future billing.
Read the guide →Is It Safe to Buy Discounted Gift Cards Online?
Discounted gift cards can be legit or a fast way to lose money. Learn how resellers work, the red flags of drained-card scams, and how to check a site first.
Read the guide →Is This Coupon Site Legit? How Fake Deal Pages Work
How fake coupon and deal sites really work, the red flags to check before entering card details, and what to do if you already paid or signed up.
Read the guide →Is this cashback site legit? How to verify a cashback or rewards site before you sign up
How cashback sites make money, which signs separate a real one from a scam, why 'cashback did not track' is usually not fraud, and the fake-cashback trick used by scam shops.
Read the guide →Bookings and big-ticket buys
Rentals, flights, tickets, cars, pets: high value, hard to reverse, heavily targeted.
Is It Safe to Book an Airbnb or Vrbo? Avoid Rental Scams
Airbnb and Vrbo are safe when you book and pay on-platform. Learn the red flags of vacation rental scams, how to vet a listing, and what to do if targeted.
Read the guide →Is It Safe to Buy Resale Tickets Online? Avoid Scams
Resale tickets can be safe if you buy the right way. Learn the red flags of ticket scams, which payment methods protect you, and how to verify any seller.
Read the guide →Is It Safe to Buy a Puppy Online? How to Avoid Pet Scams
Buying a puppy online can be safe if you verify the seller first. Learn the red flags of puppy scams, how to check a breeder, and what to do if you paid.
Read the guide →Is It Safe to Buy a Used Car Online? Avoid Escrow Scams
Buying a used car online can be safe if you spot fake escrow sites and deposit scams first. Learn the red flags and how to verify a seller before you pay.
Read the guide →Not sure about a specific shop?
Paste its name or web address and get a trust score in seconds — or paste a suspicious message into the scam checker.