How can I tell if an online shop is genuine before ordering? The site looks slick, the prices are unbelievably good, and something in your gut says wait. Listen to that gut — I’ve investigated enough scam shops to know the signs, and most fake stores fall apart under five minutes of checking.

Here’s the exact checklist I run before buying from any shop I haven’t used before.

How Can I Tell If an Online Shop Is Genuine? The Checks

1. The deal test: prices 50%+ below everywhere else on in-demand goods are the #1 red flag. Scam shops lure with impossible prices — a PS5 at £199 isn’t a bargain, it’s bait. 2. Contact details: a genuine UK shop lists a real address, phone number, and company number. No address at all, or only a contact form? Walk away. Check the company number on Companies House — it takes 30 seconds and scammers rarely bother faking it convincingly.

3. Domain age: check when the domain was registered (who.is or similar). A “long-established retailer” whose domain is three weeks old is lying. 4. Reviews: search “[shop name] reviews” and “[shop name] scam” — real shops have Trustpilot/Google reviews going back months; scam shops have either none or a suspicious burst of five-star reviews all posted the same week.

5. Payment methods: genuine shops take cards (which give you Section 75/chargeback protection). Shops insisting on bank transfer, crypto, or gift cards are almost always scams — those payments can’t be reversed, which is exactly why scammers demand them. Is it Cheaper to Buy a Printer or Use a Print Shop for Occasional Printing

Red Flags Most People Miss

Copied content: paste a chunk of the site’s “About us” text into Google in quotes — scam shops steal text wholesale, and you’ll find the same wording on five other dodgy sites. Social media: check their linked accounts — real businesses have history; scam shops have three posts and twelve followers, or the links go nowhere.

The checkout: no padlock/HTTPS in 2026 is an instant no. Also beware of shops that only appeared as sponsored ads — scammers buy ads aggressively because their sites get taken down fast. An ad is not an endorsement.

Pressure tactics: countdown timers, “only 2 left!”, pop-ups screaming about other buyers — legitimate shops use these too, but combined with other red flags they confirm the picture. And trust the overall feel: slightly-off English, stock photos as “staff”, no VAT number on a UK business — individually meaningless, collectively damning. Action Fraud — report online shopping fraud

• Impossible prices = bait; compare with known retailers
• Check Companies House for a real UK company number
• Look up the domain age — new domains + big claims = suspicious
• Card payments only; never bank transfer to an unknown shop
• Search ‘[shop name] scam’ before ordering

If You’ve Already Ordered From a Dodgy Shop

Act fast. Paid by credit card? Contact your card provider about a Section 75 claim (purchases £100–£30,000) — the card company is jointly liable. Debit card? Ask your bank about chargeback — not a legal right like Section 75, but banks run the scheme and it often works. Bank transfer? Harder — contact your bank immediately about authorised push payment fraud; the Contingent Reimbursement Model may cover you if the bank failed in its duties.

Report it: Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk), and report the site to the NCSC’s suspicious reporting service. Change any password you reused on the scam site, and watch for phishing follow-ups — scammers sell victim lists to other scammers.

Going forward, make a rule: unknown shop + bank transfer = never. Unknown shop + credit card + five minutes of checks = usually fine. That one rule would prevent the vast majority of online shopping fraud I read about. Why is My New Smart Speaker Not Responding to Commands Companies House — check a company’s details

The Social Media Ad Trap: Why Scam Shops Find You

Most victims don’t find scam shops — the shops find them, via targeted social media ads. Scammers buy ads because it’s cheap, targeted, and disposable: when one site gets reported, they spin up another. The platforms’ ad vetting is thin, and a slick video ad confers instant legitimacy that the website alone couldn’t.

Protect yourself: treat every ad as untrusted until checked — the five-minute verification routine applies doubly to advertised shops. Be extra suspicious of ads for in-demand items at sharp prices (trainers, electronics, furniture), ads from pages created weeks ago, and ads with comments disabled (hiding the warnings). Never buy through the ad’s in-app browser alone — open the shop separately, check it properly, and pay by card. The ad brought you there; your checks decide whether you stay.

Key Takeaways

• Five minutes of checks beats weeks of fraud recovery
• Companies House + domain age + reviews = the core trio
• Never pay an unknown shop by bank transfer
• Credit cards give Section 75 protection over £100
• Report scam shops to Action Fraud to protect others

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I check first on an unfamiliar online shop?

Its company details and reviews. A real UK address, a verifiable Companies House number, and months of genuine reviews are the strongest trust signals.

Is it safe to buy from a shop that only takes bank transfer?

No — treat it as a major red flag. Bank transfers can’t be reversed, which is why scam shops prefer them. Use a card for protection.

I paid a scam shop — can I get my money back?

Possibly: Section 75 for credit card purchases £100–£30,000, chargeback for debit cards, and APP fraud reimbursement rules for bank transfers. Act quickly and contact your bank first.

Are Instagram and Facebook shops safe to buy from?

Legitimate businesses sell through social platforms safely every day — but so do scammers. Check the shop exactly as you would any unfamiliar website: company details, reviews, domain age, payment methods. Social proof (followers, likes) is easily faked; business fundamentals aren’t.

Wrapping Up

Check the company details, the domain age, and independent reviews before you buy — five minutes that exposes nearly every scam shop. Pay by card, never by bank transfer, and remember that an impossible price isn’t a bargain, it’s the bait. Your gut feeling about a dodgy site is right more often than it’s wrong. What is the Best Budget Smartphone for Under 200 Pounds in the UK