How do I check if a website is legit before buying?

To check if a shopping site is legit, first paste the address into Google's Safe Browsing site status page, which flags known scam and malware sites. Then search the store name plus "scam" or "reviews" and look at results from outside the store itself. Prices far below everywhere else, a brand-new domain, and payment only by bank transfer, Zelle or crypto are the strongest warning signs.

Sites last checked 16 Oct 2026. How we test