Online store checker — is this shop legit?
Found a shop you don't recognise — a too-cheap ad, a marketplace link, a “closing down sale”? Paste its address below to check if the store is legit before you pay. Free, no signup: the checker reads the site for you, looks up how old the domain really is, and flags the fake-store signals Australians are hit with around every EOFY, Black Friday and Christmas sale.
How the store check works
Three things happen when you paste a store's address. First, our server fetches the site safely — you never open it yourself. Second, we look up the domain's public registration records, because a shop's real age is the one thing its marketing can't fake: a site claiming years of trusted service on a domain registered a few weeks ago is telling on itself. Third, AI analysis reads the store the way a sceptical shopper would — impossible discounts, missing ABN or contact details, copied product photos, checkout pressure — and scores it against known Australian fake-store patterns.
Before you pay: the two-minute rules
Pay by card or PayPal, never by bank transfer, PayID, gift cards or crypto — card payments carry chargeback rights if the goods never show up, while a transfer to a fake store is usually gone for good. Be wary of any shop that only offers direct transfer at checkout, and of discounts steep enough to feel like winning. If you've already paid a store you now doubt, contact your bank first, then follow the step-by-step recovery walkthrough.
Your privacy
What you paste is sent securely to be analysed and is never shown to other users. Site reports show only what our automated check found about the store — never who checked it.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if an online store is legit?
Paste the store's address above. The checker safely fetches the site, reads what it sells and asks for, checks how recently the domain was registered, and compares it against known fake-store patterns — prices too good to be true, missing business details, copied product pages. You get a trust score, a verdict and the specific signals found, before you hand over a card number.
Why does domain age matter for a shop?
Fake stores are churned out fast and shut down fast — most are only weeks old. A shop claiming '10 years of trusted service' on a domain registered last month is one of the strongest fake-store signals there is. An older domain doesn't prove a store is good, but a brand-new one behind big discounts deserves real caution.
What's the safest way to pay an online store?
Pay by card (credit where possible) or PayPal rather than bank transfer or PayID. Card payments carry chargeback rights if the goods never arrive; a bank transfer to a scam store is usually unrecoverable. No legitimate retailer needs a direct transfer, gift cards or crypto at checkout.
The store passed the check — is it guaranteed safe?
No automated check is a guarantee. A clean result means no strong risk signals were found, not that the store is endorsed. Check reviews on independent sites, and if the discount seems impossible, it usually is.
I already paid a store I think is fake — what now?
Contact your bank or card issuer straight away to dispute or freeze the payment — speed matters far more than certainty. Then follow our step-by-step recovery walkthrough for exactly who to contact next, in what order.
Checking a link that isn't a shop? The link checker handles any website. Got a suspicious message instead? Paste it into the message checker.