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How to spot a fake online shop

  • Edited 5 November 2026
  • 2 min
  • Secure business
  • Managing and growing

Have you spotted an attractive online offer for your business or organisation? Be careful, there are fake websites that look almost exactly like real online shops. Scammers are very active around the holiday season. By doing a few checks, you can spot a fake website and avoid a fake purchase.

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Purchase fraud via fake websites is a growing problem. In 2025, SIDN received 5,000 reports of fake online shops in the Netherlands. Folllowing an investigation, SIDN took 4,000 of these offline. Do you order from a fake seller? Then you will not receive a product and you will lose your money. Criminals are particularly active online with fake offers during busy periods. For example, around Black Friday and Christmas.

5 questions to check reliability

If you are not sure about the reliability of an online shop, ask the following 5 questions.

1. Does the online shop follow the basic rules?

All online shops must follow certain basic rules. For example:

  • They must show their visiting address, email address, telephone number, and KVK number on their website.
  • The terms of delivery and a complaints procedure must also be easy to find.
  • Online shops that sell to consumers must clearly explain the rules for returning an order.
  • A ‘cancel order’ button is mandatory since 1 January 2026, allowing the client to easily cancel an order.

Does the online shop fail to comply with these basic rules? If so, this could be a sign that you are dealing with a fake online shop.

2. Is the website a real company?

Before you do business with the company, check the ScamCheck (in Dutch) to see if the website is for an existing company. This online tool shows whether a Dutch website is registered with KVK, if the SSL security certificate is still valid, and if the website has been used for other phishing attacks. SIDN also has tips to find out if an online seller is reliable.

3. Which business activities are listed in the Business Register?

You can also find information about the company in the Business Register. For example, we record the business activity for each business. Suppose an online shop sells popular products, such as energy drinks or firewood. But the Business Register states that the business is involved in metalworking. In that case, do not trust the online shop. It could be a fraudster misusing someone else’s company name.
Are contact details on the firm's site different from those in the Business Register? Be extra careful. Contact them first using the data listed in the Business Register. This way, you can check whether you are dealing with a real online shop or a scammer.
If it is a foreign online shop, check the firm's data via a foreign register.

4. Can you pay safely?

Only pay using secure payment systems, like credit card, iDEAL/Wero, PayPal, or payment upon receipt (achteraf betalen). Be careful if an online shop asks you to pay in advance by bank transfer to a foreign bank. Online shops should offer the option of paying half the amount upon delivery.

5. What do others say about this company?

Reviews show whether other customers have been satisfied in the past. Search online for reviews, and look beyond the business’s website, for example, on review websites.

A seal of approval also shows if the seller is reliable, like Thuiswinkel Waarborg and Webshop Keurmerk. If a company does not have a seal of approval, but is a member of an industry association (in Dutch) then other companies in the same sector know about it. The industry association website will show what rules a company must meet to become a member, and what assurance that gives for customers.

What to do if you have been scammed?

If you have been scammed by a seller with a fake website, there are a few things you can do:

  1. Contact your bank. They may be able to reverse your payment.
  2. Are you unable to resolve the issue via the bank? If you know who the fraudster is, you can ask that person to return the money.You can also request legal assistance, for example via your legal assistance insurance policy.
  3. Report the scam to Fraud Help Desk (in Dutch) and submit a police report.

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