The safe online shopping checklist for 2026

Online scam retailers are getting better every year. The templates look real. The reviews look real. The 'Trustpilot' badge in the footer is often a JPEG that links nowhere. Two minutes of due diligence catches the vast majority.

Twelve questions to run through

1. Is the domain older than 6 months? (Check Scam Lookup.)
2. Does it have a valid SSL certificate from a real CA?
3. Is the domain the same brand as the shop? (Not 'brand-outlet-uk.shop'.)
4. Is there a real physical address in the footer?
5. Is there a company registration number, and does it resolve in a public registry?
6. Is there a contact phone number and email on the shop's own domain?
7. Does the returns policy specify a real address you'd ship to?
8. Do the product photos also appear on the manufacturer's site?
9. Are prices roughly in line with the manufacturer's retail?
10. Does the shop appear in independent reviews (Reddit, Trustpilot) with real history?
11. Do payment options include a real, chargeback-friendly method (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal)?
12. If you back out of checkout, does the shop stop pestering you with 'act now' popups?

If something goes wrong

1. Contact your card issuer immediately and dispute the charge. You have limited windows (usually 60-120 days).
2. Report the site to Action Fraud (UK), the FTC (US), or your country's equivalent.
3. Report to the domain registrar — abuse@<registrar> — with evidence.
4. Leave a review on Trustpilot / Reddit so the next person is warned.