Scam Store Checker
This checker helps you slow down and organize visible warning signs on an unfamiliar shopping site. It does not visit the URL, inspect a company, or decide that a store is legitimate or fraudulent. Your answers stay in the current browser tab.
Start with identity, not appearance
A polished storefront can be copied or generated. Compare the domain, business name, contact route, policy names, and independent presence. Inconsistency deserves more checking; consistency alone is not proof.
Read policies as operating details
Returns, delivery, privacy, and support pages should agree about the seller and explain practical time frames. Vague text, another company name, or missing contact details can make a problem harder to resolve.
Put the price back into context
Compare several established or relevant sellers. A deep discount may have a legitimate explanation such as condition, clearance, or older stock, but pressure should not replace that explanation.
Treat the payment route as a separate decision
Check the merchant name, currency, destination domain, and dispute options. Be cautious when a store avoids its own checkout and pushes direct transfer, gift cards, crypto, a personal QR code, or an unrelated payment link.
Check delivery before checkout
Look for a plausible origin, carrier, time frame, and tracking process. Impossible delivery promises or surprise post-purchase fees belong in the overall risk pattern.
What the result means
The tool groups selected signs into a low, medium, or high educational estimate. A low result is not verification; a high result is not an accusation. Use the result to decide what needs independent confirmation before payment.
Official references used here
- FTC Consumer Advice: Online Shopping
Guidance on checking sellers, comparing offers, reading policies, keeping records, and payment protections.
- FTC Consumer Advice: How To Evaluate Online Reviews
Explains why ratings can be manipulated and why several independent sources matter.
- Google Safety Center: Security tips
General guidance for checking URLs, unusual formatting, urgency, and unexpected requests.