The Top 3 Resources for Identifying False Stores and Preventing Scams in 2025
Online retailers appeared as a replacement at the beginning of the twenty-first century. By 2025, this technology will be just as significant to international trade as physical trade itself, if not more so. When it comes to creating scams and frauds and mimicking phony stores, the number of cybercriminals and their methods have grown.
Fake websites can steal sensitive information from our personal accounts, including bank accounts. So, in order not to fall victim to this type of crime, it is essential that we have the tools to protect ourselves from these practices. We will highlight four practical and improved alternatives so that you can buy safely online.
- Fake-Shop Detector
This project, developed in collaboration between the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications, X-Net, and the Austrian Institute of Technology, studies suspicious patterns across different web store domains in order to detect fake stores.
Available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, it can review various criteria for online stores, such as whether they have real and reliable contact information, their terms and conditions, or whether they have received complaints on the site. These key elements, along with other additional elements it implements, allow its users to report suspicious stores, which helps improve its growing database.
ScamAdviser
We are talking about one of the most used applications to defend ourselves against these bad practices. Fortunately, it has the ability to analyze additional factors such as the age of the web domain. In addition, it is also able to analyze the location of the server and take into account previous user reviews.
As you can see in the image, the site has a search engine so you can enter URLs, phone numbers, crypto addresses, or the user's IBAN number. The function is completely legal, and thanks to its comprehensive database, you are likely to find an answer to your doubts here.
It also has an application for Android and iPhone and browsing add-ons so you can use it on different devices at this link.
- Netcraft Extension
This tool is designed as a browser extension also for real-time fraud detection. It is updated daily with lists of dangerous sites and blocks your access to them by alerting you of the threat. It is especially useful for sites that exhibit phishing behavior.
In this case, it offers an extensive analysis of the reputation of online stores, providing information about transaction history, server location, and security certificates. Finally, it also has a tool for reporting suspicious sites so you can help other users (as they do with you) avoid becoming victims of cybercriminals.