A price that is too low is usually the bait
In short: a fraudulent website imitates a shop or a well known brand to take your money or your card details. The surest signs are a price far below the market, no company details (name, registration number, address), no return policy and a website address slightly different from the real one. Before paying, check the company in the official business register and search for the site name together with the word “complaints”.
Table of Contents
The danger
In the digital age, fraudulent websites have become a major problem, affecting millions of users worldwide. As e-commerce grows, cybercriminals use more and more sophisticated methods to lure victims to fake sites that imitate legitimate platforms. From selling counterfeit products to stealing personal data, these sites are a constant threat to inattentive users.
What are fraudulent websites?
Fraudulent websites are real digital traps, designed to attract users with tempting offers and promises of products or services at unbeatable prices. They exploit every shopper’s wish to find the best deal at a low price.
Cloned websites are fraudulent copies of legitimate sites, created to deceive users. They imitate the name, look, content and features of the original almost perfectly, often to steal personal information or, even worse, the card you pay with and the money on it. Usually you receive nothing after the “purchase”.
Counterfeit product sites operate under the false identity of genuine brands. You think you are buying a quality, original product, but you receive a counterfeit at a high price.
Price-gouging sites sell products at hugely inflated prices, exploiting demand for items that are normally much cheaper on large international marketplaces.
What are the main signs that a website is fraudulent?
A cloned site or one selling counterfeits can be recognized by several signs:
- The address may include small changes from the original, such as an added country name in the domain.
- The design and content may look similar, but often contain grammar mistakes or low quality images.
- Prices that are unusually low for branded products.
- No legal and tax information, or template text left unchanged.
- No terms and conditions, return policy or warranty.
- You can only pay by card, with no cash on delivery.
- Lorem Ipsum content (placeholder text used in web design to temporarily fill content areas).
- Slow navigation and broken links.
A padlock in the address bar (HTTPS) only means the connection is encrypted; most fake shops have one too, so it proves nothing on its own.
A site selling products at inflated prices is easy to spot from its product photos. Use Google Lens to find where a photo comes from (you will see that most are listed on Asian marketplaces at much lower prices). Incomplete product descriptions or spelling mistakes are another clear sign, and a long delivery time shows the goods actually ship from China.
How to check an online shop in two minutes
- Look up the company registration number shown on the site in the official business register of its country (in Romania, the Ministry of Finance company search): the name and address must belong to the same company.
- Search for the site name together with “complaints” or “reviews”.
- Check the website address letter by letter and open the official shop yourself, not through a link you received.
- Search for the product photo with Google Lens: if it appears on Asian sites at a much lower price, the shop is a reseller or fake.
- For a first check, you can also use ScamAdviser, recommended by Romania’s National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC).
What's new in 2026
- Shops cloned from well known brands (September 2026). Romania’s National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) warns that fake sites copy the name, logo, photos and products of real shops and use addresses almost identical to the official ones. The offers have very large discounts, so you order quickly. DNSC’s advice: type the shop’s address into the browser yourself, do not rely on the logo or the look of the site, and if you have already entered your card details, call your bank immediately.
- More than a million people in Romania received fake parcel SMS messages (March 2026). According to Bitdefender data cited by DNSC, a single campaign reached more than a million people in Romania. The message says you have an undelivered parcel and sends you to a site imitating the courier company, where you are asked for a small “delivery fee” and your card details. Check any parcel only in the courier’s official app or website, using the tracking code.
- FAN Courier and DNSC: the “anti-rush exercise” (September 2026). The campaign starts from the idea that people do not fall into the trap out of ignorance, but out of haste. A pause of a few seconds, in which you look carefully at the sender and the link address, is often enough.
Whether it is a shop or a courier, the rule is the same: do not reach the site through a link you received; open the official address yourself.
What methods do scammers use most to lure victims to fraudulent websites?
Scammers use various methods to lure victims to fraudulent websites, including:
- Deepfake ads: advanced technology is used to create fake video and audio imitating real people who promote unbeatable offers, often on social media or in online ads. You also find them in trading platform scams.
- Phishing: fake emails or messages that appear to come from legitimate companies, with time-limited offers, creating urgency and the fear of missing the last discounted item. Read more in our phishing guide.
- Fake affiliate marketing: affiliate programs promising high commissions on sales, drawing influencers and blogs into promoting fake sites.
- Fake reviews: invented positive reviews on rating platforms, to build a trustworthy image.
What role does social media play in spreading sites that sell counterfeits?
Social media plays a significant role in spreading sites that sell counterfeit products, offering a huge platform to promote and distribute them. Scammers create fake pages or accounts that look legitimate and use sponsored ads to reach a large audience quickly.
Posts with attractive offers, discounted prices and fake branded products can look credible and draw shoppers in. Platform algorithms often boost the visibility of these offers through targeting, and the lack of strict checks on accounts and products makes the bait spread easily. Fake offers in comments are described in the article about scam comments on social media.
How can you check that the products you buy online are genuine?
The most counterfeited products are:
- Branded clothing and accessories (bags, watches, shoes): luxury products at reduced prices.
- Electronics (phones, headphones, batteries): devices imitating popular brands.
- Cosmetics and perfumes: beauty products that look original but are of poor quality or contain dangerous ingredients.
- Medicines and supplements: fake medicines or supplements, which can be ineffective or dangerous. Read more about medical scams.
To check whether the products you buy online are genuine, follow these tips:
- Buy from authorized sellers: make sure you buy from official websites or authorized distributors.
- Read the reviews: read other customers’ reviews and check ratings on trusted platforms. Be careful with reviews that are overly positive, repetitive or generic.
- Check technical details: look up the product on the brand’s official website, such as specifications and features, and compare them with what the seller lists.
- Look at the price: be careful with prices that are much lower than on official sites; a price that is too low can point to a cloned site or a counterfeit product.
- Look for certificates of authenticity: many brands offer certificates or verification codes on dedicated websites.
- Analyze the address: make sure the address is correct, with no errors or suspicious variations.
- Contact customer service: if in doubt, contact the brand or retailer directly to verify the product.
Mystery boxes are a special category.
Mystery boxes are a common trap: you do not know what you will get, so you have no way to claim your money back. On a fake site, you will most likely receive nothing, or products worth much less than you paid. Check carefully where you buy from. See how scammers use these offers in ads in Bitdefender Labs’ analysis of mystery box ads.
What are automatically translated international sites, and how do you tell them apart from fraudulent ones?
Sales sites translated into several languages give customers in different countries access to products that are normally imported from outside the European Union. This is the case for sellers in customs entry countries who want to sell on within the EU.
These sites are not fraudulent, because they show legal and tax information, have clear terms and conditions and explicit return and warranty policies, and delivery can be made to parcel lockers or cash on delivery. However, you may not benefit from warranty or returns if the seller does not follow local laws, or if returns are impossible because of differences between the regulations of the products’ country of origin and European rules. For defective or non-conforming products, returning or repairing them can become complicated or expensive, and without a clear return policy, shoppers risk not getting their money back or a replacement.
What can I do if I bought from a fraudulent website?
Act as quickly as you can:
- Call the bank that issued your card immediately: ask them to block the card and dispute the transaction.
- Keep the evidence: screenshots of the site, the order, the emails and your bank statement.
- If you used the same password on other accounts, change it everywhere and use unique, strong passwords. See also how to protect your social media accounts.
- If you received a product that does not match the description, file a complaint with your consumer protection authority (in Romania, ANPC), after first trying to solve it with the seller.
- If you lost money or gave personal data, file a police complaint and tell your national cybersecurity authority (in Romania, DNSC at 1911, alerts@dnsc.ro or pnrisc.dnsc.ro).
How can I shop safely online?
Some banks and apps (for example Revolut) offer a virtual card with a limit for a single payment: if the site is fake, you lose at most the amount on that card. Cash on delivery is also safer. PayPal offers buyer protection, under its own conditions.
🧩 Self-assessment exercise: "Would I buy from this site?"
Imagine you are an ordinary customer. You reached a website through a recommendation, social media or a simple search. You do not know the author. You are looking for a real solution, a service or clear information. What do you feel and think in the first few minutes?
🔹 1. First impression (in the first 5 seconds)
“What does this site tell me at first glance?”
- Do I immediately understand what this site offers?
- Is it clear whether the service or solution fits my need?
- Is it visually appealing (clean, airy, professional design)?
🔹 2. First interactions (scrolling and content)
“What do I feel as I scroll down the page?”
- Can I quickly see the benefits on offer?
- Do I find clear reasons to keep reading?
- Do I see elements that inspire trust (reviews, examples, clarity)?
🔹 3. Trust
“Does this look like a serious, professional site?”
- Is the language clear and easy to understand (no clichés)?
- Are there no obvious mistakes (placeholder text, errors, broken links)?
- Does the person or company behind it seem real and active?
🔹 4. Clarity of action
“If I want to do something, do I know what to do?”
- Is it clear what comes next (for example, ask for a quote, book a session)?
- Is it easy to get in touch?
- Am I guided logically, without confusion or obstacles?
✅ Quick interpretation
If most of your answers are YES:
The site offers a convincing, clear and professional experience.
If most are NO:
You have found weak points that affect trust and conversion, whether in design, clarity or the lack of an obvious action.
🧠 Tip:
Use this exercise for your own website too. Or ask a friend to fill it in, without explanations. Find out what is seen “from the outside”, where real decisions are made.
💡 How do website visitors think?
Every visitor comes with a different perspective and different expectations.
🌟 The emotional visitor
This visitor looks for an authentic connection. They:
- Decide based on feeling: “I feel this resonates with me”
- Look at photos, colors and big headlines
- Do not test links or look for details
- Are convinced by stories and authenticity
🔍 The logical visitor
This visitor looks for clarity and structure. They:
- Look for clarity: what do you offer, to whom, with what results?
- Look at the structure, sections and flow
- Notice if something is broken, misaligned or confusing
⚡ The visitor in a hurry
This visitor needs information fast. They:
- Do not scroll and want everything clear in 5 seconds
- Close the page if they do not immediately understand what is offered
To sum up, fraudulent websites are a major threat online, affecting both shoppers and businesses. By recognizing the warning signs, such as prices that are too good to be true and missing contact details, you can avoid digital traps. Stay alert, use safe payment methods and ask for help to protect your data and your money. Prevention and knowledge remain the most effective weapons against online fraud.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether an online shop really exists?
Look up the company registration number shown on the site in the official business register: the company name and address must match. Then look for reviews of the shop outside its own website.
Is a very low price always a sign of fraud?
Not always, there are real discounts. But a price far below the market, together with missing company details or return conditions, is a serious sign.
How do I pay more safely in a shop I do not know?
Cash on delivery, or a virtual card with a limit. Avoid bank transfers to an account you cannot verify.
What should I do if I paid and received nothing?
Call your bank and ask them to dispute the transaction, keep the evidence and file a police complaint. Also tell your national cybersecurity authority.
Sources
- Bitdefender Labs: Sponsored Ad Fraud: Mystery Box Scams Flood Social Media
- Google: Google Lens
- ScamAdviser: check a website
About the author
Brîndușa Maria, Senior Software Test Analyst, ISTQB® Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst (CTAL-TA). I write about how to recognize online scams. LinkedIn
Note: this article is based on my research and professional experience. I used artificial intelligence tools for drafting and editing.
📢 Share the knowledge, stay safe! 🔒✨ Use the share buttons below and help others stay safe online. The more we know about online scams, the better protected we are! 🚀💙