Suspected
fake shop?

Protection against fraudulent online shops

To the overview of concerns

Have you already transferred the money?

Contact your bank immediately and report the incident to the police. Keep all receipts and screenshots as evidence.
Go directly to the external reporting center ↓

Important note

As a registry, DENIC only manages .de domains. We are not responsible for the content of websites, do not store this content, and cannot block fraudulent shops or recover your money ourselves.

External contact points in case of suspected fraud

You can find tips on detection at the Consumer Advice Centre and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

Fake shop finder from the Consumer Advice Center

Check the shop URL before making a purchase
Not sure whether an online shop is legitimate? Suspiciously low prices or no legal notice? The free tool from the Consumer Advice Center checks the shop URL for typical signs of fraud—for greater security when shopping online.

Fake Shop Finder

Consumer center

Report suspicious shops & warn others
Suspicious shop? Report it directly to the consumer advice center.

 

Melden

Online police station

Reporting fraud to the police
Victim of a fraud and suffered losses? File a report online here if residing in Germany. If a non-resident contact your local police.

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Our role at .de - 
We manage the address. Not the content.

DENIC registers your .de domain. However, the content of the website is provided by the respective provider and therefore cannot be blocked by us.

For .de domains:

  1. You can use the WHOIS query to find the responsible provider and its abuse contact address.

  2. Contact the provider and send a notice of misuse.

  3. Request information about the domain holder if you can prove a legitimate interest (e.g., for legal proceedings). This is part of our DISPUTE procedure.

For other domains (not .de):

Use DNS tools to find out the hosting provider yourself (e.g., via “Find host” / “DNS lookup”).

Recognizing and avoiding fake shops

What are fake shops?

Fake shops are fraudulent online shops designed to harm you. They often look deceptively genuine and lure you in with extremely cheap offers that are not available on reputable sites.

The scammers' goal is to get you to pay in advance or to obtain your personal data and credit card information. In return, you will either receive inferior counterfeit goods or the goods you ordered will never arrive.

Typical characteristics:

  • They offer (often counterfeit) brand-name products at unusually low prices.
  • Ordered goods are not delivered at all, are of inferior quality, or are counterfeit.
  • Your personal data (name, address, payment details) is misused for criminal purposes.

Warning signs for fake shops

Suspicious payment methods

  • Only prepayment or bank transfer possible
  • No secure payment methods (such as PayPal, etc.)
  • Unusual bank details
  • Payment to foreign countries required

Suspicious offers

  • Unrealistically low prices
  • No or incomplete product descriptions
  • No delivery times
  • No return or warranty policies

Suspicious website

  • Missing or incomplete legal notice
  • No contact options
  • Poor German translation
  • Insecure connection (no HTTPS)

Suspicious behaviour

  • Pressure to order quickly
  • No confirmation after ordering
  • Inadequate customer service
  • Goods are not delivered

Further information

Find out how to recognize fake shops and what preventive measures you can take here:
Learn more about fake shops →