Fraudulent storefronts used to be crude. They are not any more. Product photography is lifted from real retailers, layouts come from commercial templates, and reviews are generated in bulk. What has not improved is the infrastructure underneath, and that is where the checks work.
Check the domain age
A public WHOIS lookup shows when a domain was registered. A store selling heavily discounted electronics from a domain registered three weeks ago is the single most reliable signal available. Established retailers have established domains.
Read the contact page like a document, not a formality
Look for a physical address, a company registration number, and a phone number that connects to something. Fraudulent stores typically offer a web form and a generic email address. Paste the address into a map service: warehouse districts and residential homes both appear regularly, as do addresses that belong to entirely unrelated businesses.
Test the policy pages
Returns, shipping, and terms pages on fraudulent sites are usually copied from templates and left partially unedited. Placeholder text, a different company name appearing mid-paragraph, or policies that contradict each other between pages are strong indicators the site was assembled rather than operated.
Look at what payment methods are actually accepted
This matters more than any other check, because it determines your recourse. A store that accepts cards through a recognisable processor leaves you chargeback rights. A store that pushes you toward bank transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or a payment app aimed at friends and family is choosing methods that are difficult or impossible to reverse. That choice is the point.
Reverse-search a product image
Drop a product photo into a reverse image search. Fraudulent stores reuse manufacturer and competitor photography, and finding the same image on a legitimate retailer selling at a normal price tells you what you need to know about the discount.
Weigh the discount honestly
Current-model goods at seventy percent below everywhere else are not a clearance event. Margins in consumer electronics and branded goods do not allow it. When the price only makes sense if something is wrong, something is wrong.
If you have already paid
Move quickly and prioritise by method. Card payments should go to your issuer as a chargeback. Bank transfers should go to your bank as a recall request. Save the order confirmation, the listing page, the store URL, and all correspondence before the site disappears — these stores are frequently taken down within weeks of launching, and the evidence goes with them.