Which? publishes updated guidance on spotting online shopping scams

Which? published updated guidance on 3 August 2026 setting out the checks its scam experts use to judge whether an online retailer is legitimate before shoppers part with money¹. The consumer body said fraudsters are adept at mimicking official sites by copying their branding, and that website creator tools using artificial intelligence have changed how quickly fake shops can be built¹.

The guidance says scam websites use extremely low prices to lure shoppers into buying fake, counterfeit or even non-existent items¹. On the site itself, Which? says reputable companies will always list ways to get in touch, and that a website without a "contact us" page could well be fraudulent, though the presence of contact details is not a guarantee of legitimacy because messages may go unanswered¹. It suggests using a domain checker such as who.is to see when a website was created, noting that a recently registered website could indicate a scam¹. Which? adds that broken English and spelling mistakes were once a widely touted warning sign, but that AI can now produce polished text in seconds, making unprofessional sites rarer¹.

On reviews, Which? says a large number of negative reviews can sometimes indicate a scam, but that positive reviews are not a guarantee of legitimacy as they can be faked, and it warns about multiple glowing reviews using repetitive formats or language¹. On advertising, it says anyone can pay to advertise products and services and that big tech platforms do not always spot or prevent scam ads, that paid results can be hard to distinguish from genuine search results, and that AI summaries on search engines and chatbots may also suggest scam shopping websites¹. On social media, it says checking the age of an advertiser's profile, usually in the "About" tab, will sometimes expose clone scams¹.

For card details, Which? points to digital wallets and virtual debit cards¹.

Which? says these features make virtual cards ideal for paying on sites you have never used before and do not yet trust, but adds that in general it is safest to stick to well-known retailers, using the checks to confirm it is the genuine firm and not a copycat¹.

Why it matters for households

The guidance concerns anyone buying from an unfamiliar retailer, and the checks apply from the point a site is considered rather than from a fixed date. Which? describes the risk as money paid for goods that are fake, counterfeit or never arrive¹. Its advice on payment concerns what a shopper shares at checkout: a digital wallet keeps card details private, and a virtual debit card means the primary physical card details are not passed to the retailer, with some banks allowing spending limits or separation from the main account balance¹. Which? also notes that paid adverts and AI-generated search summaries can surface scam shopping sites, so a site appearing in search results or in an advert is not itself evidence that a legitimate company is behind it¹. The guidance does not set out fraud reimbursement rules or say which card type gives stronger protection; that has not been reported here.

What happens next

No further steps, dates or enforcement action are set out in the guidance, which is a set of checks for shoppers rather than a regulatory announcement¹. Which? also promotes a free scam-alert service for spotting and avoiding the latest scams¹.