How to Spot Fake Websites When Shopping Online

Nov 19, 2025  Jortty

Fraudulent or fake websites are scam websites streamlined to trick you into handing over sensitive details, making payments, or downloading malware. Scammers would make them appear legitimate by copying the websites of popular brands. The fake websites include phishing websites mimicking the legitimate ones, stealing your login details, clone websites copying real sites misleading you and fake sellers of tickets offering nonexistent tickets.

In our guide today, we are going to discuss ways to identify scam websites and tips to help you take the necessary steps if you accidentally land on them as the future of AI.

Easy Ways to Identify Fake Shopping Websites

Do not fall for scam deals this holiday season. Check out the signs to learn how to spot fake shopping sites with AI predictions.

URL Red Flags

The fastest mode of telling whether a site is secure or not is by checking out the Https with the padlock right next to it in the domain URL. Https represents that no one between the user and the website can read the data. The other sign that the URL of the site appears suspicious is identical to the official address of the authenticated retailer; however is a bit off. Try avoiding the spoof domains by typing the URL of the retailer manually into the browser. It is also important to only click on the links you get by text, email, or direct message if you are entirely sure that it arrived from the real company, as these are common entry points for phishing attempts.

Dodgy Domain History

The domain names of the fake shopping sites have likely been registered for a short while, with their onset leading up to the famous holidays and the biggest shopping events. There are a couple of free tools you will find online you can use for checking the website’s age including TrueDial. Also, start capitalizing on the free, safe browsing transparency of Google to check whether the site is reliable or not. Always pop the URL into the search bar with Google offering you better site assessment.

Pixelated Images

The counterfeit websites feature stolen imagery, mainly lifted from the retailer’s authenticated website or written off of Google. As a result, several of the featured images on these fraudulent sites need to be of better quality and appear pixelated.

Typos & Bad Grammar

The authenticate firms mainly have a team of editors overseeing the copy of the website prior to the website launch. Online scammers never take time or might lack the ability to create attractive sales copy. Although a few would lift the language out of the real sites, several are prone to make real grammar and spelling errors that you can check with AI advancements.

Amateur Website Design

Scammers will not require designers and engineers to create online stores. Online website builders and a few marketplaces, such as Shopify, enable users to design their storefronts in a couple of steps. However, the scammers would often move rapidly and would not take a lot of time to build a scam shopping website as it can get identified seamlessly as a scam and is taken down. It is the reason why they opt for the inexpensive, simple website templates that come with restricted features, which are not sufficient to convince any unsuspecting customers that they are the real deal.

Limited Contact Details

Whenever you choose to purchase something online, initially confirm the physical address, phone number, and support email of the online seller in case you have a couple of questions or concerns related to your order. Always raise your suspicions whenever the site has just the fill-in contact form, the customer service email is generic, such as a Yahoo or Gmail account instead of the corporate one, or the non-existent contact details.

Questionable Payment Options

Legitimate brands usually offer secure payment options such as credit or debit cards, which are part of safe online payment practices. Scam shopping websites mainly force you to pay for the goods using non-traceable and non-reversible payment methods. These include cryptocurrencies and gift cards, as the debit and credit card issuers are more likely to safeguard you against debit or credit card frauds. It is a good practice to keep a watch on your banking accounts throughout the shopping holidays to ensure that no suspicious amount is getting debited.

Conclusion

Taking a couple of precautionary steps can help avoid online shopping scams and fraudulent websites. At Jortty, we can help you remember the tips we share, enjoy the accessibility of online shopping, and avoid fake and scam websites.