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    Before you pay

    Check any website in five minutes.

    Open the site in another tab and work down this sheet. You don't need Scam Finder or an account. Links open in a new tab so you keep your place.

    Website inspection sheet6 checks / 5:00

    The six checks

    Add it to pre-fill the links below. Your marks stay in this page and clear on reload.

    1. 1

      Starts at 0:00

      The address

      • Read the address from the right. Here’s how. Check the spelling, extra words and ending.
      • Came from an ad, a message or a search result? Type the company’s address yourself and compare. Copied shops use look-alike domains, and fakes can rank first in search.
      • Look up the registration date as context. A new domain proves nothing, because every shop starts somewhere. A site “trusted since 2009” on a domain registered last month has a contradiction to explain.
      • Google’s status tool lists known dangerous sites. A clear result only means this one isn’t listed today.
      ICANN Lookup: registration date (opens in a new tab)Google site status (opens in a new tab)

      Is this the site you meant to reach?

    2. 2

      Starts at 1:00

      The company

      • Find the legal name and registration number, usually in the footer, terms or about page.
      • Look them up on the official register for that country, then compare the name, address and status.
      • Fakes can steal a real number, so a number that exists proves little. The details around it have to match too. Sole traders may not appear on a company register: mark Can’t tell.
      UK: Companies House (opens in a new tab)US: state registers, via the SBA (opens in a new tab)Australia: ABN Lookup (opens in a new tab)Canada: federal companies (opens in a new tab)

      Does the official register match what the site says?

    3. 3

      Starts at 2:00

      The contact details

      • Look for a street address, an email address and a phone number. Reputable sellers are more likely to give all three.
      • A PO box alone is a warning sign. No postal address at all suggests you may not be dealing with a real company.
      • Read the returns policy. How many days do you get, and who pays to send it back? No terms or privacy policy is another warning sign.
      Citizens Advice (UK) (opens in a new tab)FTC on returns (US) (opens in a new tab)

      Can you tell how to reach them and how to get your money back?

    4. 4

      Starts at 2:45

      The payment methods

      • Go as far as the payment page without entering any details, and see what it accepts.
      • Mark Doesn’t if you can only pay by gift card, wire transfer, payment app or crypto. The FTC says that’s probably a scam. The UK’s NCSC says never to pay by direct bank transfer.
      • Also mark Doesn’t for money orders, pre-loaded cards, or a request to split the payment across several accounts.
      • Did checkout jump to an address you don’t recognise? Treat that as a warning. A credit card generally gives you the most protection.
      FTC (US) (opens in a new tab)NCSC (UK) (opens in a new tab)Scamwatch (Australia) (opens in a new tab)

      Can you pay in a way that gives you protection?

    5. 5

      Starts at 3:30

      The reviews elsewhere

      • Search the site’s name and address with the words complaint, scam and review.
      • Use several independent sites. Ignore reviews and stars on the seller’s own site, which could be fake.
      • Read what you find. A pile of hits proves nothing, and ten pages repeating one accusation are one source.
      • For each review, ask where it’s posted, who wrote it and what else they’ve reviewed. All-positive reviews with no detail are a warning sign.
      • Nothing at all? Mark Can’t tell. No reviews doesn’t condemn a site, and it doesn’t clear one.
      Search “complaint” (opens in a new tab)Search “scam” (opens in a new tab)Search “review” (opens in a new tab)

      Do independent sources describe real orders that arrived?

    6. 6

      Starts at 4:30

      The offer

      • Search for the same product at two shops you already know, and compare the price.
      • Brand names far below their usual price deserve suspicion, since they can be counterfeit. Sales and clearance can be real too.
      • Countdown timers and “only 2 left” exist to rush you. Close the tab for five minutes, then decide.
      FTC on pressure (US) (opens in a new tab)Competition Bureau (Canada) (opens in a new tab)

      Can you explain the price, with no pressure to rush?

    Read the address from the right.

    Check this before anything else on the page. This fictional address looks like a UK shop. It isn't.

    https://harbour-lane.co.uk.sale-today.shop/checkout

    The fictional address https://harbour-lane.co.uk.sale-today.shop/checkout, whose real site is sale-today.shop.

    1. The padlock and https only mean the connection is encrypted. Fake sites have them too.

      FTC: https

    2. Anyone can put a familiar name here. Everything left of the real site is decoration the owner chose.

    3. This is the site. Start at the first single slash and read left: the last two parts, or three for endings like .co.uk and .com.au.

    Six things a fake can copy.

    None of these counts as a tick on your sheet, because finding one proves nothing about who runs the site.

    • The padlock

      The FTC says https doesn’t mean a site is legitimate.

      FTC

    • A well-known logo

      Fake shops copy logos and products from real brands.

      NCSC

    • A local ending

      Australia’s Scamwatch warns that scammers use .com.au domains.

      Scamwatch

    • A registration number

      Scamwatch warns about stolen ABNs, so check who the number belongs to.

      Scamwatch

    • The top search result

      Fake sites can rank first. Read the address before you click.

      NCSC

    • Stars on its own site

      Canada’s Competition Bureau warns that glowing reviews on a seller’s site could be fake.

      Competition Bureau

    Short on time? The scan does part of this.

    Scam Finder checks the evidence it can reach about one exact website and lists what it couldn't. Use it alongside this sheet.

    The address
    The scan: Pins down the exact website and where it ends up, and checks approved threat sources. Registration age is shown as context.Still on you: Confirm it’s the site you meant to reach.
    The company
    The scan: Looks for the operator details the site states, and notes material contradictions with reliable sources.Still on you: Look it up on the register yourself.
    Contact details
    The scan: Searches the relevant pages and says when contact or refund details aren’t there.Still on you: Decide whether they hold up.
    Payment
    The scan: Flags stated terms that demand irreversible payment. It never enters checkout.Still on you: Open the payment page and look.
    Reviews elsewhere
    The scan: Keeps first-hand experiences in a separate section. They never affect the assessment.Still on you: Read independent reviews and judge them.
    The offer
    The scan: Doesn’t count a low price as a concern. A price is context at most.Still on you: Compare the price and decide.

    Read the methodology, including what it won't count

    Last reviewed November 2026. General guidance, not legal or financial advice.

    Sources are from the UK, US, Canada and Australia, and rules differ by country. Buying from a different country? Use the register and consumer body there. Next review due February 2027.

    The first hour matters more than this sheet. Stop sending money and contact the company you paid with.

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