Great reviews, a great price, a shop you've never heard of. Check before you pay.

Reviewed by Colin Balfe on Oct 27, 2026 · Updated Oct 27, 2026 · Every fact links to its source
The short answer

Possibly a scam: glowing reviews and a slick site prove little, so check the seller elsewhere and pay only by credit card.

The check

Answer these honestly. A single "yes" to a warning sign is enough to stop.

  • Did you find the shop through a social media ad with a too-good price?The FTC says scammers advertise brand-name products at unusually low prices and the link may lead to a fake site. More than 40% of people who lost money to a social media scam in 2025 had ordered something.
  • What comes up when you search the shop's name or web address with 'scam', 'complaint' or 'review'?The FTC recommends this check before buying.
  • Do the reviews arrive in a burst, from reviewers with no other reviews, or sound too positive?The FTC lists all three as signs of fake reviews. But it also warns you can't reliably spot fakes just by looking.
  • Does the seller only accept gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or crypto?The FTC says that's probably a scam.
  • Can you verify the business exists: a real address, phone number and registration that match?In the ABC case, the storefront photo was AI-made and the business number belonged to a different company.

If it's happening right now

If you haven't paid, check the seller elsewhere first and pay only by credit card. If you've paid and nothing arrived, or it's not what you ordered, contact the seller once in writing, then your card company or payment app to dispute it. Save your receipt and order number.

How this scam works

An ad on social media shows brand-name goods at an unusually low price, sometimes impersonating a real company.

The link goes to a professional-looking shop with plenty of five-star reviews.

You pay, then get a counterfeit, something very different from the ad, or nothing.

Separately, real businesses sometimes buy or fake reviews to look better than they are, which the FTC now bans.

What AI changes

AI makes fake reviews, product photos and even shopfronts cheap to produce. The FTC's 2024 rule explicitly bans AI-generated fake reviews, and an ABC investigation in 2026 found a publishing firm's storefront photos were AI-made.

What to do, step by step

  1. Pay by credit card if you can.The FTC says you can dispute a credit card charge if you're billed for something you never got, or sent a wrong or damaged item.
  2. Keep everything.Receipt, order confirmation number, screenshots of the ad and the product page. The FTC says these help you recover money.
  3. If it hasn't arrived, know your rights.The FTC says sellers must ship by the date they or their ads promise, or offer you a refund.
  4. If you paid another way, ask for a reversal now.For a payment app, report it to the app; for a bank transfer, ask your bank; for crypto, contact the exchange. See the FTC's 'What To Do if You Were Scammed'.
  5. Report the fake shop and the fake reviews.To the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and flag the ad and reviews on the platform. The FTC lists how to report reviews on Amazon, Google, Yelp, Trustpilot and others.

How big this is

40%+of people who lost money to a scam on social media in 2025 said they had ordered something after seeing it in a social media ad, the most reported kind of social media scam.FTC, Apr 27, 2026
Up to $53,088in civil penalties per violation that businesses can face under the FTC's rule banning fake reviews.FTC, Dec 22, 2025

Real cases

  • Australia. ABC News found that 'Patrick White Publishing', which charged authors from a few hundred dollars up to $17,000, used AI-generated storefront images on Google Maps and a business number belonging to an unrelated firm, which reported it to Scamwatch. One author got a refund through a PayPal dispute. The company didn't respond. (ABC News (Australia))
  • Dubai. A café said a customer used an AI-faked photo of a spilled drink to claim a delivery refund. It spotted the wrong drink, cups and branding. AI fakes cut both ways for small businesses. (Gulf News)
  • United States. FTC staff sent warning letters to 10 companies about possible violations of the new rule banning fake reviews. The letters aren't findings that any of them broke the rule. (FTC)

Where to report it

Questions people ask

How can I tell if reviews are fake?

The FTC's signs: a burst of reviews in a short time, reviewers with no other reviews, and reviews that seem too positive. It also says you can't reliably spot fakes by looking, so check several sources.

Are AI-generated reviews illegal?

In the US, the FTC's rule announced in August 2024 bans businesses from creating, buying or spreading fake reviews, including AI-generated ones, when they knew or should have known they were fake.

How do I check if a website is legit before buying?

Search the shop's name and web address with words like 'scam', 'complaint' and 'review', and be wary of social media ads with unusually low prices, the FTC says.

I paid and nothing arrived. Can I get my money back?

If you paid by card, dispute the charge with your card company. For a payment app or bank transfer, ask for a reversal right away. Keep your receipt and order number.

Why does it matter how I pay?

The FTC says a seller that accepts only gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or crypto is probably a scam, and those payments are much harder to get back than a credit card charge.

Related

Sources

Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.