How to check if a website is legit

Start with the exact website address

Look for misspellings, added words or unusual subdomains that may imitate a known brand. Open the address yourself instead of trusting a link from an unsolicited message.

Check domain history in context

A newly registered domain is not automatically fraudulent, but a very new domain combined with heavy discounts, missing identity details and advance-payment pressure deserves more caution.

Verify the business behind the page

Look for a consistent legal or trading name, working contact information, a real address and social profiles with believable history. Check whether those details agree across the website.

Read the policies before ordering

Review the return, refund, shipping, privacy and terms pages. Vague text, copied wording, contradictory deadlines or no return address can make a dispute much harder.

Choose a recoverable payment method

Prefer an official marketplace checkout, credit card or payment provider with a documented dispute process. Direct transfers and cryptocurrency usually offer fewer recovery options.

Worked example: a familiar brand on an unfamiliar domain

Illustrative example, not a report about a real business: a social advertisement shows a familiar shop logo, but the checkout opens on brand-clearance.example. The logo does not establish who controls that address. Open the shop through a previously known address and compare its contact details with the advertisement. In BeforeYouPay, check the exact checkout URL and read the missing evidence as well as the score. If the address or payment recipient cannot be independently explained, pause the purchase.

What to record before making a decision

Keep a private note of the exact URL, product name, advertised price, scan date and any missing identity or policy information. A later scan can differ because a website changes. A lower-risk result describes available signals at that moment; it does not verify stock, delivery or ownership. Search the domain in Community Reports, and use the seller verification guide when the payment request comes from a separate social account.

Official safety resources

• FTC: online shopping and purchase records