Check the source
Review seller identity and contact details.
Read the method →VIGIFRAUDE® · PACTA CYBER LAB
Fake shops and listings: look beyond a polished storefront
Retail scams exploit copied imagery, urgency and payment methods that leave the buyer with limited recourse.
Visual quality is not seller verification
An imitation shop may reproduce a legitimate catalogue and customer reviews. HTTPS protects the connection but does not establish whether a merchant is honest.
Check the seller’s legal and contact information, delivery conditions and independent reputation. Look for inconsistencies rather than relying on a rating alone.
Plan decisions
Compare claims using other sources.
Prevention →Protect accounts
Keep payments inside approved channels.
First steps →Marketplace conversations can be redirected
A request to pay outside a marketplace may remove the protections you expected. Review the consequences before moving to a different platform or method.
Urgent discounts and limited stock can discourage checking. Search for copied photos and compare terms with reputable vendors.
Practical checks
- Review seller identity and contact details
- Compare claims using other sources
- Keep payments inside approved channels
- Save order terms and confirmations
Preserve order information for disputes
For a failed purchase, retain the order confirmation, payment reference and conversations, then use the provider’s official dispute path.
Vigifraude brings together consumer checks and Alain Stevens’s digital source-verification experience dating back to 1999.
Related resources
Build a suitable control
No single badge, review or domain characteristic establishes that a commercial offer is genuine.
For a technical question, software project or training request, describe the need without sending credentials or unnecessary personal data.
VIGIFRAUDE® · PACTA CYBER LAB
Planning a fraud prevention project?
Requests are evaluated against technical objectives and the limits of the available services.