How to check if a website is legit
A professional design and HTTPS padlock do not prove that a store will deliver. A useful website scam check combines technical signals with business evidence and payment risk.
Reviewed by BeforeYouPay · Updated 2026-09-06
Check the exact website address with BeforeYouPay, then review every signal in context.
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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.
Quick checklist
- Confirm the domain spelling
- Compare business identity across pages
- Read return and shipping rules
- Search for independent complaints
- Avoid pressure to pay immediately
- Save the listing and payment receipt