How to tell if a shopping website is fake before Black Friday

Warning signs of a fake store

• It only takes gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, or crypto. The FTC says never to buy from sellers that insist on those (FTC).
• You can’t find honest reviews. The FTC suggests checking reviews on several sites, and warns that some reviews and star ratings are fake (FTC).
• The deal arrived in a text, email, or ad. The FTC says not to click links in messages you didn’t expect, and to go to the company’s site yourself (FTC).
• Pressure to buy right now. Rushing you is one of the FTC’s four signs of a scam (FTC).

How to check a store in five minutes

1. Type the store’s address yourself instead of tapping an ad or a link in a message (FTC).
2. Search the store’s name with words like "complaint," "review," or "scam" (FTC).
3. Read reviews from more than one place, and look at who wrote them (FTC).
4. Read the return and refund policy before you order (FTC).
5. Pay with a credit card. It gives you the most protection if you’re charged twice or never get what you paid for (FTC).

What to do if you already responded

1. Call your credit card company if you were charged for something you never got. The FTC says to call right away and follow up in writing within 60 days of the first bill that shows the problem (FTC).
2. If you paid by debit card, bank transfer, or app, call your bank or the app company and ask if they can reverse it.
3. If the seller hasn’t shipped by the promised date, the FTC says the law lets you cancel for a full refund (FTC).
4. Keep records of what you bought, what you paid, and any messages (FTC).
5. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov.

This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. If money already left your account, call your bank or card company first.