Scams & fraud
How to check an online shop is real before you buy
Fake online shops look polished, run ads on social media and offer brands you recognise at prices that feel just about believable. Some take your money and send nothing. Others send a cheap copy. A few minutes of checking before you pay saves a lot of hassle.
The short version
Before you pay
- Search the shop’s name with “scam” or “reviews”.
- Check its ABN and contact details.
- Pay by credit card or PayPal, never bank transfer, crypto or gift cards.
- If a deal is far below normal prices, assume it’s fake.
The five-minute check
Search for reviews outside the shop
Search the shop’s name with words like “scam”, “reviews” or “complaints”. Look at independent review sites and forums, not the reviews on the shop’s own page, which can be invented.
Check who runs it
An Australian business should show an ABN. Look it up on ABN Lookup and check the business name matches and the ABN is active. Look for a real address and a phone number, not just a contact form.
Look at the web address
Check the domain closely. Fake stores often use names that are close to a real brand, with extra words like “outlet”, “sale” or “official”, or an unusual ending. A brand-new website selling high-end goods at huge discounts is a red flag.
Read the policies
Real shops have clear returns, refund, delivery and privacy policies. Fake ones are vague, copied from somewhere else or mention a different business name.
Check the price against reality
If something is 60 to 90 per cent cheaper than everywhere else, especially for brand-name clothing, electronics or popular toys, it’s almost certainly fake or non-existent.
Payment is your safety net
How you pay makes a big difference to whether you can get your money back.
| Payment method | If something goes wrong |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | You can ask your bank for a chargeback if goods don’t arrive or aren’t as described. Contact the bank quickly. |
| PayPal | Its buyer protection lets you open a dispute for eligible purchases. |
| Buy now, pay later | Most providers have a dispute process. Check their terms. |
| Bank transfer, crypto, gift cards, money transfer services | Very hard or impossible to get back. Genuine shops rarely insist on these. |
If a store pushes you to pay by bank transfer, offers a big discount for doing so, or the card option “isn’t working”, walk away.
Social media ads aren’t a seal of approval
Platforms remove many scam ads, but plenty still run. Treat an ad the same as any other unknown shop and do your own checks.
If you think you’ve been scammed
- Contact your bank or card provider straight away and ask about a chargeback. Have the order details, dates and any emails ready.
- If you paid by PayPal, open a dispute in your account.
- Stop any further payments and don’t give more personal details.
- Report the shop to Scamwatch. You can also report the ad to the social media platform.
- If the goods arrived but are faulty or not as described from a genuine business, your rights under Australian Consumer Law may apply. Your state or territory consumer protection agency can help.
Shopping habits that help
- Use a credit card or a separate card with a low limit for online shopping.
- Type the address of shops you know rather than clicking ads.
- Keep screenshots of the listing, order confirmation and payment until the goods arrive.
- Be careful with deals that only last minutes. Urgency is a sales trick and a scam trick.
Common questions
The site has a padlock icon. Is it safe?
The padlock means the connection is encrypted. It says nothing about whether the shop is honest. Scam sites have padlocks too.
It has thousands of five-star reviews. Can I trust that?
Not if they’re on the shop’s own site. Look for reviews on independent sites, and be wary of reviews that are all very short and posted at the same time.
I ordered from an overseas site and it hasn’t arrived. Is it a scam?
Not necessarily. International shipping can be slow. Check the tracking and the delivery estimate, and contact the seller. If they stop responding, talk to your bank.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. If you think you’ve lost money or personal information, contact your bank and the services named above straight away.
Keep reading
Related help
Talk to NovaSoft
Want a hand with this at work?
These guides are free to use. If your business wants help putting the checks, accounts and devices in place, our team can do it with you.