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Scams aimed at people buying online — fake stores, non-delivery, and too-good-to-be-true deals. (37 scam types.)
AI builds entire fake e-commerce stores at scale — products, reviews, and policies — to take payment for goods that never arrive.
Scammers trick you into authorising a bank transfer or mobile payment to an account they control, using social engineering, fake emergencies, or impersonation.
Pixel-perfect copies of real company sites used for phishing, fake sales, or fake support.
Fake or knock-off products sold as genuine, often unsafe and with no real warranty or returns.
Stores that secretly source cheap goods from wholesale suppliers at enormous markups, misrepresenting the product's origin and true value.
Bogus flight, hotel and package sites that take payment for reservations that don't exist.
Sites posing as official brand 'outlet' or 'clearance' stores selling fakes or nothing at all.
Malicious or deceptive browser extensions that claim to find discount codes but harvest data, inject ads, or hijack purchases.
Products sold with a promise to donate a portion of proceeds to a named cause, where no meaningful donation is made and the charitable claim is used purely to justify the purchase.
Fraudulent sites selling official band or artist merchandise collect payments and either deliver counterfeits or nothing at all, trading on fan loyalty and event excitement.
Bogus cruise booking sites and imposter agents selling non-existent cabins at prices designed to attract first-time cruise shoppers.
Imposters posing as retailer or platform support to steal logins, payments or remote access.
Claims that a parcel is held by customs pending fees, or that you're linked to a seized shipment.
Smishing messages posing as couriers asking for a small fee or login to 'reschedule' delivery.
Bogus voucher and coupon offers used to harvest data or lure shoppers to fake checkout pages.
Artificial urgency tactics — countdown timers and fake limited stock warnings — used to pressure buyers into fast decisions on fraudulent or overpriced offers.
Fraudulent fashion boutiques operate entirely through Instagram, taking orders and payments for clothing and accessories that never arrive or are cheap counterfeits.
Fraudsters send fake alerts claiming your retail or shopping loyalty points are about to expire, directing you to phishing pages that harvest account credentials or card details.
Convincing but bogus shops that take payment for goods that never arrive or are worthless.
Emails mimicking legitimate retailers send fake order confirmations for large purchases you did not make, prompting you to click a cancellation link that harvests your credentials or card details.
Criminals place counterfeit 'we missed you' delivery cards through letterboxes, directing victims to phishing sites or premium-rate phone lines to 'rebook' a delivery.
Manipulated or entirely fabricated product reviews used to steer shoppers toward low-quality, counterfeit, or non-existent products.
Sellers provide bogus or recycled tracking numbers to delay disputes until protection windows close.
Tampered or compromised gift cards sold online or in shops where the balance has already been secretly emptied by the fraudster.
Fraudulent group-buy deals promise steep discounts when enough buyers join, but the required threshold is never reached honestly, no goods are delivered, and the organiser vanishes with all deposits.
Third-party sellers on major online marketplaces who list luxury, designer, or branded goods as genuine but ship sophisticated counterfeits with convincing packaging.
Fraudulent sellers on classifieds and marketplaces who take payment off-platform and never deliver.
Fake or deceptive membership clubs charge ongoing fees for benefits that are non-existent, minimal, or freely available, often enrolling members without clear consent.
Sellers enrol you in paid subscriptions automatically unless you actively opt out, often burying the negative-option clause in fine print so most people never notice the charge.
Payment is taken for goods or tickets that are simply never sent.
Fraudsters redirect parcels in transit to a different address — by hacking delivery accounts, contacting courier support, or intercepting tracking notifications — to steal goods.
Fraudsters send fake notifications claiming a parcel is waiting in a locker, directing victims to fake websites that harvest credentials or payment card details.
Fake congratulatory messages claiming you have won a prize, used to harvest personal details or extract upfront fees.
Fraudulent sellers using live video shopping events to collect real-time payments for goods that are never delivered or are misrepresented.
Pop-up shops on social platforms that advertise heavily, take payment, then disappear.
Free trials or low-cost offers that silently enrol buyers in recurring charges that are difficult to cancel.
A complex scam where criminals use stolen card details to fulfil marketplace orders, leaving buyers unaware they funded fraud.