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Holiday shopping season is almost here, and with it comes a flood of emails, social media ads, and “limited-time” deals. Some are legitimate. Some are not, and the fakes are getting much harder to spot.
For years, scam shopping sites gave themselves away with blurry photos, bad grammar, and layouts that just felt off. Today, scammers are using artificial intelligence to build near-perfect copies of real stores in minutes. Data from NordVPN shows a 250% spike in the creation of fake shopping sites, with scammers using AI to make them look legitimate. Some copy well-known retailers down to the logo. Others invent brand-new “boutiques” from scratch, complete with AI-generated product photos, fake customer reviews, and even deepfakes of trusted people.
Why it matters
Shopping scams are among the most common frauds Americans report. Online shopping scams, including items that are paid for but never delivered, were the second most common type of fraud reported in 2025. The typical story is simple: you pay, and the package never arrives, or something arrives that looks nothing like what you ordered. Meanwhile, the card number you entered may be used again somewhere else.
How it usually happens
Many of these scams start with an ad in your social feed or an email promising deep discounts, sometimes 80% to 90% off, that looks like it came from a retailer you know but links to a copycat site. Others show up in search results or come in by text as a “shipping problem” with your order, often through cloned tracking pages. Some go even further, using AI to generate too-good-to-be-true prices, glowing reviews, and deepfake celebrity endorsements.
How to find your way to the real store
A few simple habits will keep you on the right path:
Go straight to the source. Type the retailer’s address yourself or use their official app instead of clicking links in ads, emails, or texts.
Read the web address slowly. Fake sites often use addresses that look almost right, with one swapped letter, an extra word, or an unusual ending like .shop or .store instead of .com.
Don’t let the padlock fool you. A lock icon and “https” mean the connection is encrypted, not that the business is real. Scammers can get those too.
Look past the polish. A brand-new site with no phone number, no physical address, or a vague return policy is worth a second look. So is a page full of perfect five-star reviews.
Be wary of unusual payment requests. If a site asks you to pay by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or a payment app, or tries to move you off the platform to finish checkout, walk away.
Use a credit card when you can. Experts recommend paying with a credit card because it gives you the most protection if something goes wrong.
If price is the only reason it caught your eye, pause. Massive discounts on popular or sold-out items are a classic lure.
Keep an eye on your accounts
Even careful shoppers get caught sometimes. Turning on Visa Purchase Alerts through Maine Savings Digital Banking lets you see charges as they happen, so anything unfamiliar stands out quickly.
If you think you’ve shopped on a fake site, contact us right away so we can help protect your card and your accounts. Reach our Member Service Center at 207.862.6500 or toll-free at 800.273.6700, or stop by any branch. You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Shopping online should feel easy, not risky. With a few extra seconds of attention, you can enjoy the season and keep your money right where it belongs.
Please be advised that you will no longer be subject to, or under the protection of, the privacy and security policies of the Maine Savings website. We encourage you to read the privacy and security policies of the site you are entering, which may be different than those of Maine Savings.
