December 18, 2025, 9:01 am | Read time: 7 minutes
If a shop has hard-to-find products in stock or offers goods at particularly attractive prices, it can be a lucky find. However, fake shops may also be lurking behind these offers, trying to lure customers in. The Hamburg Consumer Center has released a current list of shops that customers should avoid.
Online shopping is all the rage. According to Statista, the revenue in the e-commerce sector in Germany alone amounted to 92.4 billion euros in 2025. At the same time, the risks are also growing. Fraudsters are targeting customers’ data and money, constantly adapting their schemes. Fake shops on the internet are part of this, often indistinguishable from legitimate platforms. Shopping at these sites not only puts your data in the hands of fraudsters, but buyers often lose a lot of money without ever seeing the ordered goods.
Experts from various fields have been warning about fake online shops for years. The Hamburg Consumer Center has created a regularly updated list featuring fake shops from various sectors. TECHBOOK also provides tips on how to identify fake shops online and protect yourself.
Overview
Fake Shop List from the Consumer Center
The number of fake shops on the internet is enormous. Capturing them all is nearly impossible. The list created by the Hamburg Consumer Center is extensive and is regularly updated. The experts have organized it alphabetically to make it easier to search for individual shops.
Here is the list of fake shops.
Hundreds of entries are listed here, many with seemingly reasonable names and specializing in specific product areas such as bicycles, sports, home and garden, technology, or cosmetics. If you come across a shop that raises questions, check the list to see if it is included. The Hamburg Consumer Center’s list complements the list on Watchlist Internet, which also exposes numerous fake shops.
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How to Identify Fake Shops Online
Many people think that fake shops on the internet are easy to spot. However, this is often no longer the case. The developers behind these fake platforms are clever and create websites that can look very legitimate. But with some common sense and patience while shopping, even laypeople can recognize signs that reveal an unreliable shop. Caution is always better than regret. Therefore, trust your instincts and thoroughly check who you are actually ordering from before making a purchase.
Check the Internet Address
The first tip to spot a fake shop online is to check its internet address. This should be carefully examined in the browser. If there are questionable domain endings like “.de.com” where only “.de” should be, it could be a sign of a fake shop. Also, if the address does not match the content of the site or has an incomprehensible name, skepticism is warranted. Additionally, be cautious with shops that do not use “https” in the address bar. An online shop should always offer an encrypted purchase process.
Products That Are Too Cheap
Fake shops do not necessarily have to be extremely cheap. But if a price seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Be cautious if trendy products suddenly become available here, even though other shops are out of stock. Don’t be fooled by the design of the pages: it is often quite or at least nearly professional.
Check the Terms and Conditions!
An online shop should prominently display its terms and conditions (AGB) on the website and make its privacy policy accessible. If no terms and conditions are found on the site, do not order, advise consumer advocates. This also applies if the terms and conditions are obviously made up, copied together, or written in poor German from a translation program.
Missing or Incomplete Imprint
If there are no or few details about the shop operator’s reachability and an imprint is missing or incomplete, these are bad signs. The business identity must be clearly visible. The imprint must include the postal address, an authorized representative, and an email address, as well as a reference to the commercial register number. The latter can be checked at www.handelsregister.de without the “HRB” addition.
Strange or Fake Quality Seals
Many fake shops on the internet like to use seals to portray their seriousness and trustworthiness. However, do not be fooled by this–a closer look is necessary.
Users can generally trust quality seals such as Safer Shopping and Trusted Shops, according to the Consumer Center. On their websites, you can enter the internet addresses of shops to verify if the seal was actually awarded. Alternatively, customers can click directly on the seals embedded in the shop, as these must be linked. If clicking does not lead to the certification page, something is wrong.
Only Prepayment as Payment Method
Fake shops often initially offer many payment options. However, at the final order step, only prepayment remains, such as a bank transfer. In this case, experts recommend canceling the purchase immediately. The safest payment methods are by invoice or direct debit. With direct debit, for example, you can reclaim your money up to eight weeks after the withdrawal.
Users should also pay attention to the purchase button, which must be labeled “Order with obligation to pay,” “Buy now,” or “Book with obligation to pay.” If it only says “Register” or “Order,” be cautious.
Fake Reviews
Relying solely on customer reviews within a shop is dangerous–especially if they are almost exclusively very positive or full of praise. It can often be more helpful to use search engines with the shop’s name to find experiences or warnings from other customers.
Still Unsure?
If you are still unsure whether it is a fake shop, you can now check directly on the Consumer Center’s website. Call up the “Fakeshop Finder” and enter the URL of the shop in question into the input field. The finder will then indicate whether it is likely a legitimate shop or not. If in doubt, it is advisable to refrain from purchasing from the website in question.
Fallen for a Fake Shop? Here’s What to Do
If you have fallen for a fake shop online despite all precautions and made a purchase, you will usually not achieve much with the shop itself. The operators offer no customer support and do not respond to inquiries. Why would they? After all, they have received what they wanted: the customers’ data and money.
Victims should immediately ask their bank to reverse the payment, advise consumer advocates. This is often still possible a few hours after an online order. All receipts should also be secured. This includes the purchase contract, order confirmation, emails, a screenshot of the offer, and–if available–the imprint, as well as the bank details and email address used by the perpetrators. It is also essential to note the internet address of the shop.
With these documents, you should file a criminal complaint at any police station or online with the internet police of the respective state–even if the order was placed some time ago.