Fake online shops
There has been a large increase in the number of ads on social media for websites which present themselves as Irish shops selling online, often at huge discounts. There are thousands of these ads running across social media platforms, and they appear in your feed as ‘sponsored’, which means they have been paid for. This can make them seem like a genuine business.
However, many of them are not legitimate. They may have names which make them sound like they are based in Ireland. For example, they will have an Irish-sounding surname along with an Irish town name (Walsh Kildare, Murphy Cork). But they are not based in Ireland, and in fact have no physical presence here at all. They are drop-shipping sites, which pose as Irish retail businesses offering high quality goods. But what they deliver is often poor quality goods, if they turn up at all.
What to look out for
- Sponsored ads on social media
- Name suggests Irish owned and based
- Sad back story – family business closing down after many years due to high costs, fire or break-in
- Urgent action – “sale ends today!”
- Large discounts – “up to 80% off”
- Website and social media profiles set up very recently
- Reviews on the site are all five star, or are images instead of links to actual reviews on independent review websites
How to spot a scam shop
- Social media – If you spot an ad on social media, check the business’s profile to see if it looks like it is well established. The About information should tell you when the page was set up, how many followers it has, and provide other details like website, phone number and where they are based. The Transparency section can also tell you more, including where the administrators are based.
- Website – Just because a website has a .ie address does not mean it is an Irish registered business. Under consumer law, a business must provide contact details, so look for a name, physical address, phone number and email. You can check Google maps and street view to see if the business is where it says it is. Check the bottom of the website for a copyright date; this can tell you when the website was set up. Or you can check online to see when it was set up. You should be suspicious if you can’t find contact details, or the website looks like it has only recently been set up.
- Check reviews – Check reviews for the website, but don’t just trust the reviews you see on the website, especially if they are all very positive. Look it up on other independent review websites like Trustpilot or on social media sites like Reddit. You will very quickly see if other people have had bad experiences.
Your rights
When consumers buy online from companies based in the EU, strong consumer protection laws apply. These laws also apply to businesses that are based outside the EU but who market their products – through advertising or other means – to consumers in the EU. However, it is very difficult to enforce your consumer rights against a company based outside the EU, so the CCPC advises consumers to only shop online from EU-based companies.
Businesses are also not allowed to mislead consumers into making a buying decision that they wouldn’t otherwise make, with false information.
If you think you have been scammed
If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank or card issuer immediately. They may need to freeze your card or account. You may also be able to request a chargeback.
You should also contact your local Garda station to report the issue. An Garda Síochána are responsible for investigating scam operators.
If you believe that a business is misleading consumers you can make a report to the CCPC.
