Blog · Online Shopping
Online Shopping Scams: What to Watch For Before You Checkout
Most shopping scams follow a simple pattern: take the payment, delay or ignore delivery, then disappear. A few checks before checkout catch almost all of them.
Common Online Shopping Scam Tactics
Non-delivery
Payment is taken, but the item never ships — or a cheap counterfeit arrives instead.
Fake reviews
A wall of glowing, generic reviews posted in a short window to build false confidence.
Clone stores
A store copying a real, trusted brand's design almost exactly — see fake websites.
Bait-and-switch listings
An attractive listing that, after payment, is substituted for something cheaper or different.
Safe Shopping Habits
- Pay with a method that offers buyer protection rather than direct bank transfer.
- Check the seller's trust score before ordering from an unfamiliar store or marketplace listing.
- Search the store name in scam reports before you buy.
- Be skeptical of prices well below market rate — it's the most common lure in this category.
What to Do If You've Been Scammed Shopping Online
- Contact your payment provider to see if the charge can be disputed or reversed.
- Keep the listing, receipts, and any communication as evidence.
- Report it so the seller's trust score reflects what happened.
See the full buyer safety guide for a broader checklist that applies beyond shopping.