Online Fraud & Fake Shops: The Key Terms
From chargeback to WHOIS: here we explain clearly and accurately what the common technical terms around payment security, provider verification and fraud tactics mean – and what really matters when shopping online.
Unsure about a specific shop? Use the fake-shop check – it shows checked signals and missing data.
Terms from A to Z
Click on a term for the detailed explanation.
Advance Payment
Paying before the goods are delivered – legal and common, but by far the most frequent fake-shop tactic.
Term explainedBuyer Protection
A refund programme run by a payment provider (e.g. PayPal) – separate from the bank’s chargeback procedure.
Term explainedChargeback
A later reversal of a card payment initiated by your own bank – independent of the merchant.
Term explainedDomain Age
The time since a domain was registered – an early indicator, but not proof of a fake shop.
Term explainedDropshipping
A legal business model with no own warehouse – the shop forwards orders to a wholesaler who ships directly to the customer.
Term explainedIBAN & BIC
The international account number (IBAN) and bank code equivalent (BIC) for SEPA transfers – with advance payment by transfer, all but irreversible.
Term explainedLegal Notice Requirement (Impressum)
The legal duty to identify the provider – in Germany governed since May 2024 by § 5 DDG instead of § 5 TMG.
Term explainedPhishing
Fake emails, texts or websites that imitate a well-known brand to steal login or payment details.
Term explainedSSL/TLS (the padlock symbol)
Encrypts only the connection between browser and server – it is NOT proof of the provider’s legitimacy.
Term explainedTrust Seal
A paid quality mark from private providers (e.g. Trusted Shops, EHI) – not a state-issued certification.
Term explainedVAT ID (VAT Identification Number)
An EU-wide tax number for cross-border trade – verifiable via VIES in Germany and Austria.
Term explainedWHOIS Lookup
A public database of a domain’s registration data – since the GDPR, owner details are usually anonymised.
Term explainedUnsure about a shop?
The free fake-shop check shows checked signals and the limits of its assessment.
Check a shop now