Shopping online safely: how to avoid fake shops

The internet is full of genuine shops, but also of traps: fake websites that take your money and deliver nothing, or that steal your card details. With a few simple checks, you can shop with peace of mind.

Check the shop before you pay

• Company details. A reputable shop displays its name, CUI (Romanian company tax ID) and genuine contact details. If they are missing, that is a warning sign.
• A secure connection. The address starts with https and shows a padlock. Without it, don't enter your card details.
• Prices that are too low. If an expensive product costs ten times less than everywhere else, it is almost certainly a trap.
• Reputation. Search for the shop's name together with words such as scam or reviews and see what others say.

Pay in ways that protect you

Paying by card through well-known payment processors usually gives you the option to dispute a fraudulent transaction. Be careful with methods that leave no trace. Never send money in advance to a stranger from a classified ad without guarantees.

Be careful with private sales

On classified ad websites, the classic scams include the buyer who asks you to enter your card details in order to receive money, or the seller who asks for payment in advance for a product that doesn't exist. The rule: you receive money, you don't hand it over by entering card details.

If something seems wrong

Your instinct matters. If a shop or an offer makes you hesitate, it is better to walk away. There is always a trustworthy alternative.

Why we talk about this

We build secure online shops and we want people to trust e-commerce, not fear it. And that trust comes from knowing how to tell a genuine shop from a trap.