How to detect a fake or fraudulent online store

Buying online is great since you do not have to leave home and you can find practically any product or service at excellent prices. But to ensure that your online shopping experience is as satisfactory as possible, it is important that you know how identify a fake or fraudulent online store.

Check the URL

For this you can use a online url scanner, that analyzes and detects if the site where you want to buy is actually a malicious or fraudulent website. VirusTotal and URLVoid, they are two of the most reliable scanners you can use.

Pay attention to the prices

If you suddenly find yourself with prices that are too low, like 50 or 60%, even more, you should always be suspicious. These online stores may offer low prices to quickly sell fake or non-existent items, before they are detected as fraudulent by security software or tools.

Check the footer text and search for the company name

A legitimate online store will always display your name in the footer, along with the year of creation and the current year. It will also include links to "About" pages, warranty and replacement policies, privacy policies, terms and conditions, site map, contact, frequently asked questions, etc.

When was that domain created

If the online store shows a Copyright which indicates that it was created in 2005, but when checking the creation date of the domain, using the Whois tool, it is found that it was actually created in 2016, it is clear that it is a fraudulent site.

Check social media

Today, online stores have a very important presence in social networks. This means that there is a lot of interaction between the brand and the followers, therefore you can tell if it is a reliable online store, by looking at the number of followers and particularly the comments and opinions regarding their products or services.