How to check if an online store is a scam.

No single sign can prove that a store is honest. Paste the public store link for a quick check, then use the simple steps below before you pay.

Start with what to do.

Your free result first tells you what to do. Then it shows the biggest warning signs and any checks we could not finish.

Look for a working way to contact the seller and clear return rules.
Be careful with huge discounts and messages that push you to buy fast.
Check the exact web address. A copied brand name or odd spelling can be a warning sign.
Search for the seller somewhere outside its own website before you pay.

Open each step when you need it. These checks can lower your risk, but they cannot promise that a seller is honest.

1. Be careful with links sent in a message.

If the link came by surprise, do not use it to sign in or pay. Open the company from a web address you already trust.

2. Look for fake-store warning signs.

One warning sign may be a mistake. Several warning signs together are a stronger reason to leave.

Prices are much lower than every other store.
The site has no clear address, phone number, or return rules.
The web address has odd spelling or copies a known brand.
The store asks for gift cards, a wire transfer, crypto, or another payment that is hard to reverse.

3. Know what the padlock does not prove.

A secure connection helps protect information while it travels. It does not prove that the person running the store is honest.

4. Check the seller somewhere else.

Search the seller's name with words such as “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Do not trust star ratings alone.

5. Leave if important details still do not add up.

No automated check can see every order, know who truly runs a store, or promise that an item will arrive. It is okay to choose another seller.

How to check if an online store is a scam.

No single sign can prove that a store is honest. Paste the public store link for a quick check, then use the simple steps below before you pay.