“Too Good to Be True” Online Deals and How to Verify Them (Without Killing the Bargain)

It’s late, you’re half-watching telly, and your thumb’s doing that automatic scroll. Then it appears: a “flash sale” with a price so low it almost feels rude not to take it. The timer ticks down, the stock counter drops, and the reviews look oddly enthusiastic.

These “too good to be true” online deals work because they push the same three buttons every time: urgency (buy now), scarcity (only a few left), and social proof (everyone loves it). The trick is not to become a full-time detective. It’s to use a simple, repeatable check that tells you when a deal is safe, and when it’s bait.

This guide gives you a quick way to verify a deal before you pay, and a calm plan if you’ve already clicked.

The sneaky patterns behind “too good to be true” deals

Photo by Gustavo Fring

Most online deal scams don’t look like a hooded hacker in a dark room. They look like a normal shop with a normal checkout, except something’s slightly off, like a film set where the doors don’t open.

Here are the most common shapes:

Fake discount shops: A site appears overnight selling branded trainers, consoles, perfumes, or power tools at silly prices. It has a logo, a “warehouse clearance” story, and a checkout that feels legit.

Copycat brand sites: You think you’re on a familiar retailer’s website, but the URL has extra words, a different ending, or subtle misspellings. The page design is copied, sometimes even the customer service chat.

Marketplace “too-cheap” listings: A listing on a real platform is priced far below everyone else’s. The seller pushes you to pay off-platform “to avoid fees” or claims they can’t accept protected payments.

Fake delivery tracking: After payment, you get a tracking link that looks convincing. It may show movement, then “delivered”, even when nothing arrived. The goal is to run down the clock on chargebacks.

Impersonation messages: A text, email, or social media message claims to be from a courier, a retailer, or “support”, and sends you to a lookalike checkout to pay a small “re-delivery” or “customs fee”.

The scale is big enough that it’s not just bad luck. Recent UK-focused reporting keeps hammering home that shopping scams are common, especially during sales seasons, and that fraud is now a huge slice of overall crime. In January, the timing is perfect for scammers: people are chasing bargains, returning gifts, and clicking faster than usual. For practical safety basics, the NCSC guidance on shopping online securely is worth keeping bookmarked.

Red flags you can spot in 30 seconds

• The price gap is wild compared with every other seller.
• A countdown timer appears on every page, even the basket.
• Pressure phrases like “last chance” and “only 2 left” feel constant.
• The web address looks wrong, with extra words, hyphens, or odd endings.
• Spelling and grammar slip in key places (returns, delivery, payments).
• Photos look blurry or lifted from other sites, with mismatched backgrounds.
• Reviews are perfect but empty, lots of “Great product!!” with no detail.
• No clear returns policy, or it’s copied and pasted nonsense.
• Payment options remove protection, such as bank transfer, gift cards, or crypto.

Why smart people still fall for it

Scams don’t hunt for “stupid”. They hunt for speed. When a timer is ticking, your brain shifts into quick-decision mode. You stop comparing, you stop reading, you start picturing the win: “I got it for half price.”

Social proof also messes with judgement. If a page shows “1,842 bought today”, it feels safer, even if that number is invented. And brand signals are powerful. A familiar logo, a layout you’ve seen before, a “Trust” badge in the footer, they act like a borrowed uniform.

The best defence is boring and effective: pause. A 60-second check beats a week of stress.

A simple verification routine before you buy anything

Think of this like a pre-flight check. Pilots don’t skip it because the sky looks nice. You shouldn’t skip yours because the deal looks tasty.

Start with one rule: you’re verifying the seller and the path to payment, not just the product. The aim is to answer two questions: “Is this real?” and “If it goes wrong, can I get my money back?”

Here’s a routine that works in under 10 minutes.

1. Step away from the ad or message. Don’t tap the offer again. If it’s real, you can find it safely.
2. Search the seller name plus “scam” and “reviews”. Look for detailed experiences, not just star ratings.
3. Check the domain basics (WHOIS and ICANN lookup). A brand-new domain, hidden details, or mismatched registrant info raises risk.
4. Scan the link with VirusTotal. This can flag known malicious pages, redirects, and suspicious files.
5. Confirm contact details. A real address, a working phone number, and an email that matches the domain. If it’s a known brand, compare against the official site.
6. Read delivery and returns like a sceptic. If the policy is vague, copied, or missing timelines, treat it as a warning.
7. Choose protected payment. Credit card or PayPal with buyer protection. If the seller won’t allow it, walk away.

If you want a deeper guide to the anatomy of scam sites, this Which? explainer on spotting fraudulent websites is clear and UK-relevant.

Verify the seller and the website, not just the price

Start by searching in a plain, unexciting way:

Type the shop name and add “scam”. Then do it again with “reviews”. You’re looking for pattern language: people saying the same thing about non-delivery, fake tracking, refunds that never arrive, or customer service that vanishes after payment.

Next, verify the website itself.

Domain age matters. A shop claiming “family-run since 2009” shouldn’t have a domain registered last month. Use a WHOIS lookup (many free tools exist) and check when the domain was created. Domains under a year old aren’t automatically scams, but they are higher risk when paired with heavy discounts and high-pressure sales tactics.

Use an ICANN lookup if you want a second source for registration details. You’re not hunting for perfection, you’re hunting for mismatches.

Then check the details that scammers often fake poorly:

• A real postal address that exists on a map.
• A phone number that connects to a business greeting, not silence.
• A support email that matches the domain (not a free webmail address).

If the deal appears to be from a big brand, don’t trust the email, the ad, or the “sponsored” label. Type the brand’s address yourself in your browser, or use a bookmark you already trust. Your goal is to avoid being funnelled into a lookalike checkout.

Finally, run the page through VirusTotal. It won’t catch everything, but it can show whether the link is associated with phishing, malware, or suspicious redirects. Redirects matter because scammers often buy ads that point to one domain, then bounce you to another at checkout.

Check payments, buyer protection, and what happens if it goes wrong

The payment method is often the whole scam. A site can look polished and still be built to get you to pay in a way you can’t reverse.

Here’s a practical way to think about it:

A quick note on the padlock icon: HTTPS helps, but it’s not proof. Scammers can also use HTTPS. Treat it like a seatbelt, useful but not a guarantee the car is safe.

Before paying, take 30 seconds to save your own evidence. Screenshot the product page, price, delivery promise, returns policy, and the order confirmation screen. If you need a chargeback, those images can help show what you were promised.

Watch for delivery traps as well. Fake tracking links are common, and so are “customs fee” texts after you’ve ordered. Never pay extra fees via a link in a text. Go straight to the courier’s official site and type the tracking number there.

For more consumer-focused advice on these shopping traps, the Citizens Advice guide to online shopping scams lays out the warning signs in plain language.

If you’ve already clicked or paid, act fast and limit the damage

Panic makes people freeze, and freezing helps scammers. Speed matters because banks and payment services have tighter options in the early window. You’re not trying to win an argument with the “seller”. You’re trying to stop further loss, lock down your accounts, and build a clean paper trail.

First, assume two risks at once:

1. Money risk: the payment may be gone unless you act quickly.
2. Account risk: the same login and password might be used elsewhere, or your card details may be targeted again.

If you paid by bank transfer, contact your bank immediately and ask about the UK’s Contingent Reimbursement Model process for Authorised Push Payment scams (many banks follow it). If you paid by card, ask for a chargeback. If you used PayPal, open a dispute inside PayPal, not via email.

Also, don’t ignore the emotional side. Scams are designed to feel personal, like you “should’ve known”. That feeling is part of the trap. Treat it like a kitchen fire: turn off the heat first, then clean up.

For a reminder of how official warnings often frame this, this BBC report on “too good” deals that may be scams captures the core message: slow down, verify, and don’t pay under pressure.

Your 24-hour action checklist

• Stop further payments and don’t respond to the seller again.
• Contact your bank or card issuer and explain it’s a suspected scam.
• Ask for a chargeback (or raise a PayPal dispute) straight away.
• Freeze or cancel your card if you entered card details on a suspect site.
• Change passwords for your email and shopping accounts.
• Turn on 2-factor authentication (2FA) on your email and banking apps.
• Check email forwarding rules (scammers sometimes set hidden forwards).
• Run a malware scan on the device you used to buy.
• Monitor statements daily for at least a few weeks.

If you received a “delivery problem” text, treat it as connected. Don’t click it, even if the timing feels perfect.

Report it so others don’t get hit next

Reporting can feel pointless when you just want your money back, but it helps build patterns that take scams down faster.

In the UK, report shopping scams to Action Fraud (the national fraud reporting centre). If you need consumer advice and next steps, contact Citizens Advice. Also report the listing or advert to the platform where you found it (marketplace, social network, search ad). Platforms can remove repeat offenders when enough reports point to the same behaviour.

If a real brand was impersonated, tell them too. Many brands have “report fraud” inboxes and can warn other customers. Local police and community warnings can also help, especially during sale seasons.

Conclusion

A deal doesn’t have to be a scam to be risky, and a scam doesn’t have to look scary to work. The habit that keeps you safe is simple: pause, verify the seller and site, then pay with protection.

You don’t need to be techy. You just need to be consistent. Save the red-flag checklist, and use the pre-flight routine before you buy from a new site or a “last chance” offer.

If someone in your life loves bargains, share this with them. The best deal is the one that actually arrives.