--- title: Vetting a Shopping Website Before You Buy During Holiday Sales description: What to check before, during, and after ordering from an unfamiliar online store. category: safety tags: [online-shopping, scams, holiday-shopping] version: "1.0" updated: 2026-09-28 sources: - name: FTC Consumer Advice: How to avoid an online shopping scam this holiday season url: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/11/how-avoid-online-shopping-scam-holiday-season - name: FTC Consumer Advice: Scams url: https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams - name: Wells Fargo: 10 Tips to Identify Online Shopping Scams url: https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy-security/fraud/bank-scams/online-shopping-scams/ - name: BBB: Shop like a pro and make the most of this holiday season url: https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23348-shop-holiday-season - name: ABC7 Chicago (BBB): Holiday shopping — don't let online grinches scam you this year url: https://abc7chicago.com/post/holiday-shopping-dont-let-online-grinches-scam-year-better-business-bureau-warns/15523731/ - name: Post and Courier (BBB): Shop safe and shop smart this holiday season url: https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/aikenstandard/news/local/bbb-consumer-tips-shop-safe-and-shop-smart-this-holiday-season/article_19f5d7e6-a9ce-11ef-92da-0bd8c0a924bd.html - name: Bellator Cyber: How to Spot a Fake Online Shopping Website url: https://bellatorcyber.com/blog/how-to-spot-a-fake-online-shopping-website --- Holiday sales bring out the best deals of the year — and the most convincing fake stores. Scammers know you're in a rush and looking for a bargain, so they build slick sites, run ads that mimic real brands, and count on you clicking "buy" before you think twice. A few minutes of checking before you enter your card number can save you from a package that never shows up. Here's what to look at, roughly in order, from the moment you land on an unfamiliar site to after the order's placed. ## Before You Click "Buy" - [ ] Search the seller's name plus the word "scam" before you order Search for the seller and the word "scam" to vet them before sending money, rather than trusting only the reviews shown on the site itself. - [ ] Check the URL closely for extra words or misspellings added to a real brand name `{essential}` Watch out for URLs that use the names of well-known brands along with extra words. - [ ] Confirm the address bar shows "https" before entering any payment details The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Note: this only means the connection is encrypted, not that the seller is honest. - [ ] Go straight to the store's own website rather than clicking through a social media ad or DM `{essential}` Scammers are everywhere online — especially on social media. They sometimes impersonate real companies and run ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices. - [ ] Treat unbelievably low prices as a warning sign, not a lucky find Be suspicious of deals with unbelievably low prices that seem too good to be true. - [ ] Look the business up on BBB.org before ordering to see if it's listed and read what other buyers say Before ordering, check out the business profile on BBB.org and read the reviews. - [ ] Cross-check any link you clicked against the real site's known address `{essential}` Go directly to the official website; you can check their listing on BBB.org/search to verify you have the right one. - [ ] Walk away from sellers using countdown timers or other pressure to make you buy immediately Avoid sellers who use pressure tactics to get you to buy right away. - [ ] Look for a real physical address, phone number, and clear return policy on the site A store missing all three is a red flag, since scam sites are built to disappear after the sale. ## Choosing How to Pay - [ ] Pay by credit card rather than debit card, wire transfer, or a payment app when you don't know the seller `{essential}` Use caution when doing business with sellers who insist on immediate payment through digital platforms such as Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or online wire transfers, and pay with a credit card if you can. Credit cards give you dispute rights that other payment methods don't. - [ ] Never hand over your bank account number, card PIN, or a one-time login code to a seller `{essential}` Never give out sensitive information such as your bank account number, PIN, or one-time access code. - [ ] Message a friend directly on another channel before paying for items sold through their social media feed `{when: friend-selling-via-social-media}` Their account could have been hacked. ## After You Order - [ ] Save a screenshot of the order confirmation, price, and any promised delivery date You'll need this if you have to dispute the charge later. - [ ] Note the ship-by date the seller promised `{essential}` Sellers have to ship your order by the time they or their ads say they will — or give you the chance to get your money back. - [ ] Go to the shipping carrier's own site and enter the tracking code yourself instead of clicking a link sent by text or email `{when: received-tracking-link-by-text-or-email}` Shipment tracking information can be faked. Look closely to make sure it is a legitimate business. Avoid clicking on the tracking link; go to the shipper's website and type in the code to see if it is real. - [ ] Check your card statement against what you actually ordered once it posts, and dispute any mismatched charge right away Waiting too long can cost you your chargeback rights. - [ ] Report a bad experience to BBB and the FTC so others get warned Count on BBB to help you "Shop Safe, Shop Smart," and report unsatisfactory purchase experiences to BBB, and tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if you spot a scam.