The one rule A famous brand at a fraction of the price, in an ad, is the classic fake shop. Don't tap the ad. Go to the brand's own website or app.
What it looks like
halden.outlet.storeSponsored
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halden-outlet-sale[.]shop Halden Runner 2, all sizes $189.00 $54.99 Sale ends in 09:41
A famous brand at a fraction of the price.
An address that isn't the brand's own website.
A countdown, so you buy before you check.
An invented brand, drawn from real fake-shop ads. The address is broken on purpose.
You pay, and nothing arrives. Or a cheap copy turns up weeks later. Some fake shops copy a real brand's website. Others invent a friendly-sounding small business.
Check before you pay
Search the shop's name Add the word "scam" or "complaints" and see what other buyers say.
Go to the brand yourself Type its address or open its app, instead of tapping the ad.
Pay by credit card If nothing arrives, the card company can stop the payment.
Never pay by bank transfer Or gift cards, crypto or payment apps. Real shops take cards.
The padlock next to the address only means the connection is private. It doesn't mean the shop is real.
Already paid?
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Call your card company or bank now
Say you paid a fake shop and ask them to stop the payment. In the US, do it within 60 days of the bill.
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Keep the proof
Screenshots of the ad, the shop, the order and the payment.
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Change that password
If you made an account there, change the password anywhere else you use it.
Report it
- US: report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- UK: report it at reportfraud.police.uk.
- UAE: report it in the Dubai Police app, at ecrime.ae, or on 901.
- Everywhere: report the ad on Instagram or Facebook, so fewer people see it.
Spotted this week
A fake Amazon shop
A shop dressed up as Amazon, with prices far below the real thing.From public lists of known fake sites. The addresses are broken on purpose, so they can't be opened.
VeloGuardian Fortress and Citadel block websites that appear on public lists of known scams, before they load. Get the app