How to know if a website is safe to buy from
Buying online is already part of our daily life. From headphones to a sofa or a birthday gift for someone special. We do it from our cell phones, on the subway, at work or while watching a series. But this convenience also brings with it a big question: how do we know if a website is safe to buy?
A nice design or a good offer is not enough. Nowadays anyone can set up an online store in a few hours, and many times these pages hide scams, counterfeit products or simply do not exist. Hence the importance of developing certain digital criteria: a kind of personal radar to identify when you can trust… and when not.
This article is not intended to scare you, quite the opposite. We want to give you clear, practical and easy-to-apply tools, so you can browse and buy with complete confidence. From visible signs to tricks and verification tools, here’s a complete and honest guide, based on the educate, empower and protect approach, the DNA of our community.
Let’s take it step by step.
What makes a website safe to buy from?
Digital security is not magic, it’s method. A secure website is not only built with technology, but also with transparency, trust and good practices.
But what are the elements that indicate that a site is really reliable? How can you tell the difference between a legitimate store and a sophisticated trap? Here are the key pillars that make up a secure shopping site:
- Technical protection: technologies such as SSL, data encryption, secure payment gateways.
- Legal transparency: real contact details, return policy, clear terms of sale.
- Digital reputation: real customer reviews, social media presence, experience of other buyers.
- User experience: smooth navigation, coherent texts, own images, available customer service.
A secure website is coherent, has presence, takes care of details and does not hide. Quite the opposite of suspicious pages, which are often ambiguous, have grammatical errors, offer ridiculous prices or hide contact information.
As you can see, you don’t need technical knowledge. You just need to know where to look.
Basic signs to identify if a site is trustworthy
The padlock and the "https://"
Look at the address bar. If you see a closed padlock 🔒 and the address starts with https://, that’s a good sign. That means that the connection is encrypted, which protects your data. But beware: this does not guarantee that the store is legitimate, only that it has a layer of security. Some fraudulent sites also use it.
Consistent domain
Does the name make sense, is it a strange variation of a well-known brand name? Many fraudulent websites use domains like amaz0n.com or nike-official-shop.net to trick you. If the domain doesn’t match the brand, be suspicious.
Professional writing and design
Spelling mistakes, poorly translated texts or pixelated photos are signs of low quality and unprofessionalism. A serious company takes care of its image. If the website looks like it was made in a hurry or copy-pasted from other sites, be suspicious.
Clear and accessible information
Every online store should have:
- Contact page (with physical address or real phone number).
- Return and privacy policies.
- Terms and conditions.
If you don’t find this information or it is written in a confusing way, bad sign.
| Señal | ¿Qué indica? | ¿Es fiable? |
|---|---|---|
| HTTPS con candado | Conexión cifrada entre tu navegador y el servidor; protege datos en tránsito. | **Nivel básico** — necesario pero no suficiente. Una web fraudulenta puede tener HTTPS. |
| Opiniones verificadas | Reseñas reales, con detalles y fechas; idealmente en plataformas independientes. | **Alta** — si son coherentes y verificables, aportan mucha confianza. |
| Dominio sospechoso | Nombre del dominio extraño, con errores de ortografía o imitaciones de marcas. | **Muy baja** — suele indicar intento de suplantación o web temporal para estafas. |
| Información legal completa | Datos fiscales, dirección física, política de devoluciones y atención al cliente clara. | **Alta** — transparencia legal es señal fuerte de legitimidad. |
| Métodos de pago protegidos | Opciones como PayPal o tarjetas con 3D Secure, y evitar transferencias a particulares. | **Alta** — facilitan la resolución de disputas y protección al comprador. |
The power of SSL: how to identify if a site is properly encrypted
The SSL certificate is one of the first lines of defense in secure browsing. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and, in essence, it encrypts the data you enter on the web (such as your credit card number).
How to identify it?
- The padlock in the browser bar.
- The URL with https (the “s” stands for “secure”).
- Some browsers such as Chrome even warn if a website is not secure.
Is it foolproof?
No. Anyone can get a basic SSL. It is a minimum necessary step, but not enough. That’s why it’s so important to cross-reference it with other signals we’ll see later. It’s like a seat belt: essential, but it doesn’t save you if the rest of the car is poorly designed.
What do others say? The importance of reviews and online reputation
One of the quickest ways to find out if an online store is reliable is to listen to those who have already shopped there.
Where to look for real reviews?
- Google: search for the name of the store + “opinions” or “reviews”.
- Trustpilot, SiteJabber, and similar platforms.
- Social networks: does the store have active profiles and real reviews?
- Forums and communities such as Reddit.
Warning signs:
- Extremely positive and repetitive reviews: they may be fake.
- Total lack of reviews: be wary if you can’t find anything anywhere.
- Repeated negative comments about the same thing: deliveries that never arrive, products different from those shown, etc.
Legal and contact information: what every reliable store must show
A website that sells something must have a clear identity. On the Internet there is also the law, and any store operating legitimately has certain minimum legal obligations. If a site doesn’t meet them, it’s already a clear sign that you shouldn’t shop there.
What to look for?
- Company details: fiscal name, VAT number, registered office.
- Purchase conditions: final price, taxes included, shipping costs, delivery times, return methods.
- Privacy policy and cookies: must explain what they do with your data.
- Legal notice: mandatory document in most countries for online commerce.
- Contact form or real customer service channels.
If all you find is an email like contacto@ventasgeniales123.net and no other data, red alert! A legitimate site has nothing to hide.
At TRUST Lab we believe that the best defense is knowledge. If you are interested in staying informed about cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, we have exclusive content that can help you.
Secure payment methods: how to protect your money
Few things hurt more than paying and not receiving anything. That’s why the payment method you choose can be your best ally to avoid fraud or, if necessary, recover your money.
Safer options
- Bank cards (credit or debit): if your bank allows secure payments with double authentication (such as a code via SMS or app), you are more protected. In addition, you can request a refund if you get scammed (this is called “chargeback”).
- PayPal: perhaps the most reliable method. It allows you to easily claim if something goes wrong and you don’t need to share your card number with the seller.
- Bizum: accepted by many local stores, but make sure it is the “pay to merchant” option and not direct shipment to person, where there is no protection.
- Cash on delivery: useful when in doubt. You pay only when you receive the product.
Always avoid:
- Direct bank transfers to individuals.
- Payments by cryptocurrencies or unknown platforms.
- Payment links sent by email or WhatsApp (may be phishing).
The Internet is a space full of opportunities… and traps. But security is not just for cybersecurity experts or ethical hackers. It’s a basic digital competence, like knowing how to cook or ride a bike.
And like any skill, it takes training.
Herramientas gratuitas para verificar una página web (y cómo usarlas)
Antes de introducir tus datos o pagar, dedica 1–2 minutos a comprobar la web con estas herramientas. Son gratuitas y suelen darte información clara y accionable.
Google Safe Browsing
Qué hace: comprueba si Google ha marcado la web por contener malware o intentos de phishing.
Cómo usarlo rápido: pega la URL en el buscador de Google Safe Browsing y mira si aparece como “No se han encontrado problemas”.
Qué interpretar: si está marcada, no compres; si está limpia, sigue con más comprobaciones.ScamAdviser
Qué hace: asigna una puntuación de confianza basada en datos del dominio, ubicación, tecnología usada y referencias.
Cómo usarlo: introduce la URL y revisa la puntuación y las notas (p. ej., dominio nuevo, propiedad oculta).
Qué interpretar: puntuaciones bajas o advertencias sobre la antigüedad del dominio y la ubicación del propietario son señales de riesgo.WHOIS Lookup (who.is, whois.icann.org, etc.)
Qué hace: muestra la fecha de registro del dominio, datos del registrante y si la información está ocultada por un servicio de privacidad.
Cómo usarlo: busca el dominio y fíjate en la fecha de creación y en si aparece el nombre o está oculto.
Qué interpretar: dominios registrados hace pocos días o con datos ocultos pueden ser legítimos, pero aumentan el riesgo —combínalo con otras señales.Trend Micro Site Safety Center
Qué hace: analiza páginas para detectar amenazas conocidas y las clasifica por seguridad.
Cómo usarlo: pega la URL y revisa la valoración y la categoría (por ejemplo: “Segura”, “Riesgosa”).
Qué interpretar: una clasificación de riesgo es motivo suficiente para no comprar.
Consejo práctico: combina al menos dos herramientas antes de confiar en una tienda nueva. Si ambas dan señales de alerta, no arriesgues tus datos.
Técnicas de estafa comunes en tiendas falsas (cómo detectarlas y qué hacer)
Entender el modo de actuación de los estafadores te permite detectar patrones rápidamente. Aquí tienes las técnicas más habituales, con ejemplos y acciones concretas.
Ofertas demasiado buenas para ser reales
Qué ocurre: productos de marca con descuentos extremos (70–90%) o gadgets muy caros a precio de saldo.
Cómo detectarlo: compara el precio con el de tiendas oficiales y marketplaces; haz búsquedas rápidas del modelo.
Qué hacer: desconfía, comprueba reseñas y busca la misma oferta en otros comercios. Si solo aparece en esa web, mejor no comprar.Tiendas que aparecen y desaparecen tras fechas clave (Black Friday, rebajas)
Qué ocurre: crean webs temporales para aprovechar las compras masivas y luego cierran. Pueden tardar en enviar o desaparecer con el dinero.
Cómo detectarlo: revisa la antigüedad del dominio (WHOIS) y busca actividad previa (reseñas antiguas, perfiles sociales con historial).
Qué hacer: evita comprar en tiendas sin historial antes de eventos masivos; guarda capturas de pantalla y correos si has comprado.Redes sociales con seguidores falsos o poca interacción real
Qué ocurre: la web muestra “prueba social” (Instagram, Facebook) con muchos seguidores comprados y comentarios genéricos.
Cómo detectar: mira la calidad de los comentarios (¿son genéricos?), la fecha de las publicaciones y si hay interacciones reales (mensajes, quejas, respuestas).
Qué hacer: exige métodos fiables de pago o no compres; si contactas, haz preguntas específicas por DM y evalúa la rapidez y la coherencia en la respuesta.Emails o mensajes con enlaces de pago directo (phishing)
Qué ocurre: te envían un link por WhatsApp o email para pagar fuera de la web oficial.
Cómo detectarlo: URL acortadas, pedidos de pago a cuentas personales o en plataformas sin protección.
Qué hacer: nunca pagues por transferencias a particulares; utiliza sólo los enlaces de pago desde la propia web y métodos protegidos (PayPal, tarjeta con 3D Secure).Fichas de producto con fotos robadas o genéricas
Qué ocurre: la web usa fotos copiadas de otras tiendas o imágenes de catálogo sin información técnica.
Cómo detectar: busca la imagen en Google Imágenes (búsqueda inversa). Si aparece en muchas tiendas, puede ser legítimo, pero si es idéntica y la descripción no coincide, sospecha.
Qué hacer: pide más fotos reales o el número de serie; si no lo proporcionan, no compres.
What do I do if I have already bought and I am suspicious?
Sometimes the damage has already been done. You’ve placed an order, the payment has been processed… but something smells fishy. Nothing arrives, no reply, the tracking number doesn’t exist. What to do?
Quick reaction guide
Contact your bank immediately
If you paid by credit card, you can request a chargeback. The sooner you do this, the better.Save all evidence
Screenshots, emails, order confirmations, the URL, social media profile (if you have one)… everything.Write to the website
Even if they don’t respond, leave a record. It can help you in a later complaint.Complain to official bodies
In Spain: Oficina de Seguridad del Internauta(Internet Security Office)
In Latin America: look for the official entity for consumer protection or computer crimes.
Publish your experience
Write a review on Google, Trustpilot or forums to alert others. Your testimony can save someone else a bad time.
Remember: reacting fast can save your money. And sharing your experience helps make the web safer for everyone.
Frequent Asked Questions
A website can have an SSL lock, clean domain and professional design... and still be used by a fraudulent seller. It is important to understand that the technical security of the site does not guarantee the honesty of the seller.
For example, platforms like Amazon, eBay or AliExpress are technically secure, but you may come across sellers who don't deliver what they promised, deliver fake products or disappear after getting paid.
👉 What can you do?
- Check the seller's reputation, not just the site. Look at how many sales they've made, their ratings and recent reviews.
- Make sure they offer clear guarantees and a claim option.
- Always use payment methods that allow you to open a dispute or cancel the charge.
Many fraudulent pages promote themselves aggressively on social networks, using attractive ads, low prices and fake testimonials. Even if they have Instagram, Facebook or TikTok profiles, that doesn't guarantee they are legitimate.
👉 What you can do before you buy:
- Check the domain's creation date on Whois Lookup. If it was created 1 month ago, be wary.
- See if the social profile has real comments, or just likes without interaction.
- Search for the store name in Google along with “scam”, ‘reviews’ or “didn't reach me”.
- Check if they have an online trust seal, such as Trustpilot or eKomi.
