How to Tell If a Website Is Legit
Check whether a website is legit before you buy or sign in: verify the URL, run a Safe Browsing scan, check domain age, and read payment red flags.
You can size up most websites in about two minutes: read the full address slowly, run it through a free Safe Browsing check, and check how it handles payment and contact details. A padlock in the address bar proves only that the connection is encrypted, not that the seller is honest — the FTC notes scammers encrypt their sites too. Here is a repeatable way to check before you buy or sign in. Speed matters because the tactics keep moving: many 2026 scam shops run on domains only days old, dressed up with AI-generated product copy and stolen brand photos, then rotate to a fresh address before reviews can catch up.
Read the address bar first
Fake sites copy a trusted name with a small twist. Watch for a number standing in for a letter (amaz0n.com), an “rn” posing as an “m”, extra words like -deals or -outlet, or the wrong ending (.shop in place of .com). Type addresses you know yourself instead of following links from ads or texts. A password manager helps here: it will not auto-fill your login on a look-alike domain it does not recognize, a handy early warning if you use a password manager.
Run a free safety scan
Paste the full URL, including the https://, into Google’s Safe Browsing site status tool. It reports whether that site currently hosts phishing or malware, drawn from Google’s threat list. It is a snapshot, not a guarantee, but a flagged site is a hard stop.
Check who is behind the domain
Look up the domain at ICANN Lookup to see its registration date. A store selling brand-name goods on a domain registered two weeks ago deserves suspicion. Then search the company name plus “complaint” or “scam,” and confirm there is a real physical address, phone number, and working email, not just a contact form.
Watch how they want to be paid
How a site wants your money is one of the clearest tells.
| Signal | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Gift card, wire transfer, or crypto only | High scam risk; almost no way to get money back |
| Prices far below every other seller | Bait for a fake or non-delivering store |
| No address, phone, or genuine reviews | Seller wants to stay anonymous |
| Credit card or PayPal accepted | Charge can be disputed if the order goes wrong |
If you entered a password on a site you now doubt, change it right away and make the replacement unique so one leak cannot spread; our guide to creating a strong password shows how. Keep your order confirmation, and dispute the charge with your bank if the goods never arrive.
Common questions
How can I check if an online store is legitimate before buying?
Read the full domain for look-alike spellings, paste the URL into a free Safe Browsing checker, look up the domain’s registration date, and search the store name with “scam” or “complaint.” Then confirm it accepts credit cards or PayPal rather than only gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto.
How can I tell how old a website’s domain is?
Look the domain up in a public WHOIS or ICANN lookup, which shows its registration date. A store selling brand-name goods on a domain created days or weeks ago is a strong warning sign, because scam shops rely on fresh, short-lived domains.
What should I do if I already bought from a scam website?
Stop any further payments, then dispute the charge with your card issuer or payment provider and keep the order confirmation as evidence. If you entered a password, change it immediately and make the new one unique so a single leak cannot spread to your other accounts.
Can a reverse image search help spot a fake store?
Yes, and it is one of the fastest checks. Fake stores often reuse stolen or stock product photos, so if a reverse image search turns up the same picture on many unrelated sites or on the real brand’s own page, treat the store as suspect.