Every autumn the same pattern repeats: weeks before the big sale days, hundreds of supposed brand outlets spring up out of nowhere. They look professional, advertise 70 percent off sought-after consoles, sneakers or designer fashion – and in the end deliver nothing. Anyone who knows the recurring warning signs can spot these shops within minutes.
Fraudsters deliberately target the shopping frenzy around Black Friday and Cyber Week. The sites are technically set up in no time, copy the logos and product images of real brands and are heavily promoted through paid social-media ads. For the perpetrators the timing is ideal: those who order in a discount frenzy and under time pressure check less carefully.
Why the scam works precisely now
Around sale days even absurd prices seem plausible, because genuine discounts are everywhere. It is exactly in this exceptional situation that the line between a bargain and a scam blurs. The police point out that fake-shop operators often even fake delivery problems to string buyers along until the window for recovering the money has passed. In many cases there is no warehouse behind the goods at all, just an account into which your money is meant to flow.
“Anyone who orders in a buying frenzy and pays by bank transfer usually never sees their money again.”
The five typical signs
Almost all of these shops share the same warning signs. If you find two or more of them, you should not order:
- Extremely short domain history. The site has only existed for a few days or weeks and appears right before the sale days.
- Only advance payment in the end. Credit card, PayPal or purchase on account are shown at first, but in the final checkout step only the bank transfer remains.
- Incomplete imprint. A proper postal address, commercial register number or a real way to make contact is missing.
- Fake trust seals. The Trusted Shops or TÜV logo is just an image with no clickable certificate link.
- Discounts beyond all reason. Current branded goods for a fifth of the usual price is not an offer, but bait.
Why the payment method decides everything
The most important warning sign is enforced advance payment. A bank transfer can no longer be recalled once the bank has executed the order and the money has been credited to the recipient. Before that there is often only a very short window: an ordinary SEPA transfer is usually executed within a few hours up to the next banking day, an instant transfer even within seconds. That is why every minute counts if you suspect fraud – the only lifeline is an immediate call to your bank.
Other payment methods are considerably safer because they allow a reversal. Whenever possible, choose a method with built-in protection instead of a plain bank transfer:
- PayPal “Goods and Services”. Buyer protection kicks in if there is a problem, provided you open a dispute within 180 days of payment. Payments to “Friends and Family” are expressly excluded.
- Purchase on account. You only pay once the goods have arrived and been checked – of no interest to fraudsters.
- Direct debit. According to the consumer advice centre, you can have an authorised SEPA direct debit reversed up to eight weeks after the debit, and an unauthorised one even up to 13 months.
- Credit card with chargeback. Through the chargeback procedure you can turn to your card-issuing bank if goods are not delivered.
What a look at the imprint reveals
Every commercial online shop in Germany is obliged under Section 5 of the Digital Services Act (DDG, the successor since May 2024 to the former Section 5 TMG) to provide an easily recognisable and permanently available imprint. This includes the full name and address of the provider, a quick way to make contact together with an email address, for registered companies the commercial register with register number, and any existing VAT identification number. If these details are missing or hidden behind cryptic fantasy names, that is a clear warning sign.
But be careful: an existing commercial register number alone is no proof of safety. Fraudsters increasingly copy the genuine company data of reputable retailers into their imprint. The number can then indeed be verified, but belongs to a completely different company. When in doubt, cross-check the company name, address and register details against each other – and check whether they fit the advertised brand at all.
How to check a shop in two minutes
- Click the seal. A genuine Trusted Shops seal leads to a current, valid certificate with a matching company name. A mere image links nowhere.
- Read the imprint. Are the address, contact and register details complete and consistent?
- Cross-check the prices. Compare the price with established retailers. If it deviates massively, suspicion is warranted.
- Look for reviews away from the site. Reports in independent forums say more than star ratings on the shop's own page.
Anyone who does not want to go through every point individually can copy the shop's address into the Fakeshop AI check before ordering. The AI automatically analyses more than 30 features and delivers a comprehensible score – with an understandable justification for every single signal.
Already paid? These steps matter now
If you have already ordered and paid, the rule is: do not wait, act immediately. Contact your bank or payment service provider without delay and try to recall the payment or have it reversed – with a bank transfer, minutes often decide. Then secure all evidence with screenshots of the shop, order confirmation and payment receipt, and file a report with the police, either at the local station or via your federal state's online police station. The report matters: only then can the authorities take action against the operators and have fake shops consistently shut down.
