Online Shopping Scam Checker
Check an online store, social ad or shopping link before entering card details or sending money.
Built for Australians who need a calm first check before clicking, paying, replying, sharing a code or installing anything.
What happened? Choose the safest starting point.
Use this as a first-check triage system. Start with the situation, then move to the safest next step before paying for help.
Designed for the moment people feel rushed or unsure.
This tool now gives a clearer path for three real situations: checking before acting, helping someone else, or recovering after money/details were shared.
Do not enter card details, identity information or banking details until the shop, seller and checkout are verified.
Open the shop or brand site yourself, compare reviews outside the seller page, and use a safer payment method with buyer protection where possible.
If you already paid or entered card details, contact your bank/card provider first, then save receipts, URLs, emails and screenshots.
Tick what applies.
The result gives a simple risk level, what to avoid, and the safest next action.
Common online shopping scam signs
Fake shops often copy product photos, brand names and customer reviews. The warning signs are usually in the pressure, payment method, contact details and domain name.
Be extra careful with social media ads, unusually low prices, checkout pages that ask for unnecessary details, and sellers who push bank transfer or PayID instead of a normal secure checkout.
- Pause before entering card details or identity information.
- Search for the shop name plus words like scam, reviews or complaints.
- Open the real brand website yourself instead of using an ad or message link.
- Use a safer payment method with buyer protection where possible.
- If you already paid, contact your bank first and save screenshots, URLs and receipts.
Use the right checker for what happened.
Want someone to check the device or accounts with you?
See the Scam Safety Help service for calm, hands-on device and account checks after a suspicious call, message, payment or remote-access incident.
Check before relying on this result
This free tool provides general guidance from the answers you choose. It may be incomplete or inaccurate and is not a confirmed diagnosis, safety clearance, professional assessment, fixed quote or guarantee of an outcome.
For safety, security, money, legal rights, health, data loss or destructive changes, verify the result with a current official source or an appropriate qualified person. To the extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for loss caused by relying on free, unconfirmed tool output instead of obtaining that help. Nothing here removes rights that cannot be excluded under Australian law.
Read the Information disclaimer · How tool information is handled