Fake online shops

How can you identify and avoid fake online shops targeting Irish consumers?

Fake online shops often use social media ads, Irish-sounding names, urgent sales and large discounts to appear genuine. To avoid scams, check if the business is well-established, look for real contact details, and verify reviews on independent sites like Trustpilot and Google reviews. You could also find out what people are saying in online forums about the shop. Only shop online from EU-based companies for strong consumer protection.

If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank immediately to ask about a chargeback and report the issue to your local Garda station. You can also make a report to the CCPC.

What are fake online shops and how do they operate?

There has been a large increase in ads on social media for websites presenting themselves as Irish shops selling online, often at huge discounts. Many of these are not legitimate – they use Irish-sounding names and stories but have no physical presence in Ireland. These drop-shipping sites pose as Irish retail businesses but often deliver poor quality goods, if they deliver at all.

“Drop-shipping” is when a website takes your order and payment, but the goods are shipped directly from a third-party supplier – often overseas – rather than from the business itself. This can mean long delivery times, poor quality or no delivery at all. 

What should you do if you think you’ve been scammed?

Act quickly – every minute counts.

• Contact your bank or card issuer immediately – they may need to freeze your card or account. You may be able to request a chargeback.
• Report the issue to your local Garda station as soon as possible.
• If you believe that a business is misleading consumers, you can make a report to the CCPC.

Be wary when online shopping

When online shopping – or if you’re served an ad for a shop on social media – develop your awareness and be suspicious if anything looks off or too good to be true. Trust your instincts and always take a closer look before making a purchase.

Reviews

When checking reviews, look for patterns that don’t feel right, such as lots of five-star ratings with no detail, reviewers who have only ever posted one review or feedback that sounds generic or overly positive.

If something feels off, take it as a warning sign and look for more evidence before trusting the shop. Don’t trust only the reviews on the website. Look up the business on independent review sites like Trustpilot or Google reviews, social media platforms or online forums to find out if others have had bad experiences.

How can you spot a scam shop?

It can be difficult to tell if an online shop is genuine, but these checks can help you spot a scam.

Too-good-to-be-true offers and urgency

• Sponsored ads on social media, especially if they are from established brands offering deals that are so low they look too good to be true.
• Large discounts, e.g. “up to 80% off”.
• Urgent action messages like “sale ends today!” with a countdown timer at the top of the screen.
• Fake “live sales” pop-ups (e.g. “Maria in Cork just bought this!”) or fake stock counters to create false urgency – “only two left in stock!”.
• Sad backstories about family businesses closing down.
• Unusual shipping or customs fees: Be wary if you’re asked to pay extra fees after purchase for shipping, customs or “release” of your item.

Fake Irish identity and misleading branding

• Websites that copy branding: Some scam shops closely mimic the look and feel of well-known Irish or EU retailers, including logos, colours and layouts – always double-check the web address.
• Professional-looking websites with fake “as seen on” media logos (e.g. RTÉ, The Irish Times) that don’t actually link to real coverage.

Suspicious website and social media activity

• Recently set up websites and social media profiles with very few posts, followers, likes, or comments.
• Verified-looking social media accounts with thousands of fake followers or engagement (check for generic comments or repeated emojis).
• Social media accounts with inconsistent branding: Look for mismatched logos, different shop names, or links that don’t match the advertised brand.
• Websites that use multiple domain names or change their name frequently (e.g. you come across the same shop under different URLs or social media handles).

AI-generated content

• Deepfake or AI-generated product photos and videos – images may look perfect but don’t match real customer photos or reviews.
• Fake “customer testimonials” videos: Some scam shops use AI-generated or stock video testimonials that look convincing but are not from real customers.

Customer service and payment red flags

• No secure payment (no padlock icon): Always check for a secure connection (https:// and a padlock icon) before entering payment details.
  
• Fake customer service chatbots that never connect you to a real person or only give scripted answers.
• Checkout pages that redirect to unfamiliar payment processors or ask for unusual payment methods (cryptocurrency, gift cards, etc.).
• No clear returns or refund policy, or they have policies that are copied word-for-word from other sites.
• Privacy policies or terms and conditions that are generic, incomplete or reference other brands.
• Pressure to communicate outside the website: If the seller urges you to move the conversation to a messaging app, this is a red flag.

Requests for unnecessary personal information

• Unusual requests for extra personal information (like PPS number, passport details or video ID) that legitimate shops would never need.

Some scam shops deliver – but what you get may not be what you ordered

Some fake online shops will send you a tracking link after your purchase. When you follow the tracking, you may notice that your order is being shipped from far outside Ireland, sometimes from the other side of the world. In some cases, the product may eventually arrive, but it is often very poor quality, not as described, or not what you ordered at all.

What are your rights when buying online?

When you buy online from EU-based companies, strong consumer protection laws apply. These laws also apply to businesses outside the EU that market to EU consumers, but enforcement is difficult. The CCPC advises shopping only from EU-based companies. Businesses cannot mislead consumers with false information.