Online shopping scams: fake stores, fake ads and goods that never arrive

An online shopping scam uses a fake store, or a fake ad, to take your money. You pay, and the goods are counterfeit or never arrive. Your card details and personal information may also end up in the scammer’s hands. Scamwatch says these stores can copy well-known brands closely, sometimes with similar web addresses and page designs.

Fake stores have become much easier to build. A professional-looking site no longer tells you much about who is behind it. This guide explains how these scams are set up, the signs to look for, and practical checks you can do on a store’s web address and business details before you buy.

How it works

From the scammer’s side, a fake store is a short-term operation designed to take as many orders as possible before it’s reported.

1. Build a convincing shopfront. Scammers set up a site or social media shop that looks like a real retailer or brand. The ACCC’s November 2023 warning said these sites can have “sophisticated designs and layouts”, possibly stolen logos, and even a “.com.au” address.
2. Borrow credibility. The ACCC said scammers may use a stolen ABN. Scamwatch describes fake reviews and false endorsements from famous people.
3. Drive traffic. The ACCC said scammers pay for their fake websites to appear at the top of search results, so the first result isn’t always genuine. Sponsored social media posts and short-lived social media stores are common too.
4. Price to tempt. Luxury clothing, jewellery, electronics and popular brands are offered at prices far below what real retailers charge. A countdown timer or “only 3 left” adds urgency.
5. Steer the payment. Checkout may push towards payment methods that are hard to reverse. Scamwatch lists money orders, pre-loaded cards, or requests to pay several PayIDs or accounts.
6. Take the money and details. Scamwatch says the shopper loses money, nothing is delivered, and their personal information is now at risk.
7. Disappear. The ACCC describes social media stores that vanish after a number of sales.

Scamwatch has also warned about “fake parcel delivery notifications via text message or email” around busy shopping periods. See phishing, smishing and vishing.

A fictional example

This example is fictional. The name and website are invented.

In late November, Mei sees a sponsored post for a well-known brand of running shoes at a third of the usual price. The store, stride-outlet.example, has a clean design, a “Black Friday ends tonight” banner and hundreds of five-star reviews. Most of the reviews are one line long, and several use the same wording.

She adds a pair to her cart. At checkout, the card option shows an error, and a pop-up offers “10% off if you pay by bank transfer”. The account name for the transfer is a person’s name, not a business.

Mei pauses. She looks at the web address again and notices it isn’t the brand’s real address. She searches the store name with the word “scam” and finds several posts from people whose orders never arrived. The “About us” page has no ABN, no phone number and no returns policy, just a contact form. She closes the tab.

What gave it away: a price far below other retailers, thin and repetitive reviews, a deadline, a card payment that “failed”, a push to pay by bank transfer to a personal account, and missing business details.

Warning signs of a fake online store

• Prices far below what other retailers charge for the same item.
• Reviews that are all glowing, short and similar, or reviews you can’t find anywhere except on the store’s own site.
• No terms and conditions, ABN, privacy policy, returns policy or real contact details. Scamwatch lists missing terms, ABN and privacy policy as signs.
• A push to pay by bank transfer, money order, pre-loaded card, gift card or cryptocurrency, or to pay several different accounts.
• A web address with small spelling changes, extra words or a different ending from the real brand’s site.
• A new social media shop selling products at very low prices. Scamwatch says to be wary of these.
• Pressure to buy before a timer runs out. The ACCC has said not to feel pressured by a deal “only offered for a short time”.
• Poorly written or missing “About us”, shipping and returns information. eSafety’s Be Connected guidance lists this.

For red flags that apply to any contact, see the quick scam red-flag checklist.

How to check if it’s real

These checks are based on guidance from Scamwatch, the ACCC, the ACSC, eSafety, auDA and the Australian Business Register (checked October 2026). Online tools change their layout, so each one’s own page has the latest steps.

Check the web address

1. Find the store yourself. Scamwatch suggests finding a company’s official website through your own search, not by trusting the top result or an ad. The ACCC suggests typing the retailer’s address directly.
2. Read the address carefully. Look at the part just before .com, .com.au or .au. The ACSC lists spelling variations and different domain endings as signs of a fake. brand-outlet-sale.example isn’t the same as brand.example. Our phone banking and shopping guide also explains how to check a website address before paying.
3. Search the name. The ACSC suggests searching an unfamiliar address or business name with the word “review”. Adding “scam” or “complaint” can also surface warnings.

Check the domain’s registration details

Every website address (domain) is registered to someone. Looking up the registration can show who holds it and, for many domains, how old it is.

• For .au addresses (such as .com.au or .au), auDA’s public WHOIS lookup shows the registrant’s legal name and, where applicable, its ABN or ACN, plus the registrar and a “last modified” date. auDA says the original creation date is not shown in the public lookup. So for a .com.au site, the most useful check is whether the registrant name and ABN match the business the site claims to be.
• For other addresses (such as .com or .shop), ICANN’s free lookup tool can show “the date a domain name was registered”. Scamwatch itself suggests using ICANN’s lookup tool to check when a domain was registered. A site registered weeks ago that claims to be a long-established brand is a red flag.

Check the business on ABN Lookup

1. Go to ABN Lookup at abr.business.gov.au.
2. Search for the ABN shown on the website, or the business name.
3. Check that the ABN is active rather than cancelled, and that the public details shown match the business on the site. ABN Lookup also shows the business type and GST status.

The ACCC warns that scammers may use a stolen ABN, so a valid ABN on its own doesn’t prove the store is genuine. A mismatch, such as an ABN belonging to an unrelated business, is a strong warning sign.

Check the store’s details and payment options

• Look for the basics. Scamwatch suggests checking for privacy information, terms and conditions, dispute resolution options and contact details.
• Compare prices and reviews elsewhere. Scamwatch suggests comparing with other retailers and looking for independent reviews.
• Check how you can pay. Scamwatch describes looking for a secure payment option such as a credit card. The ACCC’s 2023 warning said that with direct bank deposits, money transfers and cryptocurrency, “you won’t be able to get your money back”.

Scam or a bad purchase?

Not every bad online purchase is a scam. Scamwatch describes a scam as “when someone deceives you into providing personal or financial information so they can steal from you”, and says that poor-quality purchases are different: “You have rights under the Australian Consumer Law.”

The ACCC says “all the usual consumer rights apply” when shopping online, including from overseas businesses that sell directly to Australians, though it notes getting a remedy from an overseas business can be difficult. The ACCC’s Buying online page explains these rights.

Common questions

How can I tell if a shopping website is a scam?

Official sources describe warning signs such as prices far below other retailers, reviews that are all short and similar, missing terms, ABN, privacy policy or contact details, and a push to pay by bank transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. A web address with small spelling changes from the real brand’s site is another sign. No single sign proves a scam. See Warning signs of a fake online store.

How do I check if a website is legit in Australia?

No single check proves a store is genuine. The checks official sources describe include finding the store through your own search, reading the web address carefully, looking up the domain’s registration details, checking the ABN on ABN Lookup, and looking for terms, a privacy policy and real contact details. Scamwatch also describes looking for a secure payment option such as a credit card. The steps are under How to check if it’s real.

Does a .com.au address and an ABN mean a site is safe?

Not on its own. The ACCC has warned that fake sites may use a .com.au address and a stolen ABN. Checking that the ABN is active and that the .au registrant name matches the business on the site is more telling. auDA says creation dates for .au domains aren’t shown in the public WHOIS lookup. See Check the domain’s registration details.

Can I trust a store just because it’s the top search result?

Not on its own. The ACCC has warned that scammers pay for their fake sites to appear at the top of search results, so placement isn’t proof. Scamwatch suggests finding a company’s official website through your own search rather than trusting the top result or an ad, and the ACCC suggests typing the retailer’s address directly. See Check the web address.

What do I do if I bought from a scam website?

Scamwatch says to contact your bank or card provider immediately and ask it to stop any transactions. If you entered personal information, it points to IDCARE on 1800 595 160. Scamwatch also describes reporting the store at scamwatch.gov.au, reporting the ad to the platform, and changing passwords you reused on the store. It adds: “Don’t be embarrassed about unintentionally shopping on a scam website.” See If it’s already happened.

Can I get my money back if I paid a fake online store?

It depends on how you paid. The ACCC notes that if you paid by credit card and didn’t receive the goods, your card provider may be able to reverse the charge, and that time limits may apply. Its 2023 warning said that with direct bank deposits, money transfers and cryptocurrency, “you won’t be able to get your money back”. Your bank or card provider is the first contact Scamwatch lists. See Check the store’s details and payment options.

If it’s already happened

Scamwatch’s steps (checked October 2026):

1. Act fast. “Contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam”, and ask them to stop any transactions. The ACCC notes that if you paid by credit card and didn’t receive the goods, your card provider may be able to reverse the charge, and that time limits may apply.
2. Get help to recover. If you entered personal information, contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 (see also what official sources describe if personal details are misused). If you’re unhappy with your bank’s response, you can complain to AFCA.
3. Report and warn others. Report the store to Scamwatch, which says reports help authorities act against scam sites. Report the ad or page to the platform where you found it.
4. Change passwords if you created an account on the store using a password you use elsewhere. Scamwatch’s guidance for people who’ve been scammed includes changing passwords on online accounts such as shopping accounts. See how to create a passphrase.
5. Watch for follow-up scams, such as fake delivery messages or offers to recover your money.

Scamwatch also says: “Don’t be embarrassed about unintentionally shopping on a scam website.”

Where to report

• Scamwatch takes reports of fake stores at scamwatch.gov.au.
• ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au takes police reports of cybercrime.
• The platform where you saw the ad or store.

See where to report scams and cybercrime in Australia and first steps after a scam. For buying from individuals, see marketplace scams.