Short answer
A fake shop exists only to take your money: the goods never arrive. The Verbraucherzentrale lists the typical signs — an unusual web address, prepayment as the only option, prices far below the market and no legal notice — and its free Fakeshop-Finder rates a shop green, yellow or red; in Austria, Watchlist Internet keeps a list of fraudulent shops and a browser warning tool. If you already paid, how you paid decides your chances: a bank transfer is almost impossible to recover once it has gone, a SEPA direct debit can be reversed within 8 weeks, and card or PayPal goods-and-services payments can be disputed with the provider. Report the shop to the police; for a real trader in another EU country that won’t deliver, the free European Consumer Centres can help.
Fake shop or just a bad shop?
The distinction decides where you go. A fake shop is a criminal operation: copied pictures and texts, an address that doesn’t exist, and no intention to deliver. That is a matter for your bank and the police. A real but bad shop exists and is reachable, but delivers late, sends the wrong item or refuses a refund. There your consumer rights apply, and if the trader is in another EU country, Norway or Iceland, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) gives free advice in 24 languages through 29 centres.
Check before you pay
| Sign | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| An unusual web address | Fake shops use odd endings, misspelt brand names or addresses that don’t match the shop’s name |
| Prepayment by bank transfer is the only option | Other payment methods often vanish at checkout; transfers are the hardest to recover |
| Prices far below the market | Unrealistic discounts on brands, electronics or popular items are the bait |
| No legal notice (imprint) or company details | Real shops in the EU name who runs them and how to contact them |
| The payee name doesn’t match the shop | Since October 2025, euro-area banks show a Verification of Payee warning before you transfer |
Two free tools help. The Verbraucherzentrale’s Fakeshop-Finder checks a shop’s website and shows green (on a verified whitelist), yellow (unclear) or red (possibly known as a fake shop). Austria’s Watchlist Internet, run by the ÖIAT, publishes a list of fraudulent online shops and offers a Fake-Shop Detector that warns you in the browser.
If you already paid
| How you paid | What to do | Chances and time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Call your bank immediately and ask it to stop or recall the payment; report to the police | Low: the Verbraucherzentrale calls getting prepayment back almost impossible, and with instant transfers it may be too late after seconds |
| SEPA direct debit | Ask your bank to reverse the debit | Good: refund on request within 8 weeks of the debit |
| Credit or debit card | Ask your card issuer for a chargeback for goods not delivered | Often good; check the issuer’s deadline and act quickly |
| PayPal “goods and services” or other buyer protection | Open a dispute with the payment service at once | Good, within the provider’s deadline; none with “friends and family” |
| Buy now, pay later | Tell the provider and ask it to pause the payment | Depends on the provider; act before the due date |
Whatever the method, keep the order confirmation, the shop’s URL, screenshots and every email. If the shop was advertised on a marketplace, report it there too.
Report it and warn others
- The police: in Germany through the online police station (Onlinewache), in France through THESEE, in the UK through Report Fraud, in Italy the Polizia Postale, in Spain the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil (INCIBE’s 017 line advises). See where to report online fraud.
- Watchlist Internet takes reports of online traps through its form, so the shop can be added to its list.
- The platform that showed you the ad: fake shops are often promoted through social media ads.
- Your bank, even if it can’t recover the money: the receiving account can be flagged.
- ECC-Net, if it is a real trader in another EU country, Norway or Iceland that won’t deliver or refund.
When the fake shop uses your name, brand or face
Fake shops and the ads that promote them often copy a real brand’s pictures, or a creator’s photos and videos, to look trustworthy. If it is your brand, your content or your face, you can have the ads and accounts removed through the platforms’ impersonation and intellectual-property routes. See scam ads using your face; we handle these removals through our content and account removal work.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check a shop quickly?
Paste the address into the Verbraucherzentrale Fakeshop-Finder or check Watchlist Internet’s list of fraudulent shops, look for a legal notice with a real company, and be wary if prepayment by transfer is the only option.
Can I get a bank transfer back?
Rarely. Call your bank at once and ask for a recall; it may still work if the money hasn’t moved. Report to the police and give the bank the reference.
Do the European Consumer Centres help with fake shops?
They advise free of charge on disputes with traders in another EU country, Norway or Iceland. An outright fake shop is a crime: go to your bank and the police.
I received a cheap fake instead of the real product. What now?
Keep the parcel and photos, dispute the payment with your card issuer or payment service as “not as described”, and report the shop to the police and the platform that advertised it.
Sources: Verbraucherzentrale — Fakeshop-Finder, Watchlist Internet (ÖIAT) — online fraud warnings, list of fraudulent shops, European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net), Payment Services Directive (PSD2) — Directive (EU) 2015/2366