How the score works
Every check starts at 60 points. Each signal adds or subtracts points. The result is a signal score from 1 to 99, never a verdict about honesty.
Where the data comes from
- Domain registration date from the official registry via RDAP. Where a registry does not publish dates, the first certificate in public Certificate Transparency logs is used instead.
- DNS records (mail server, address) via public DNS-over-HTTPS.
- The shop’s own home page as it is served at the moment of the check: links to legal notice and returns, contact details, payment methods, discount levels.
- Reports from visitors who ordered from the shop.
Signals and their weight
| Signal | Why it matters | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Domain age | Fake shops are registered, used for a few weeks and abandoned. A registration date of days or weeks is the strongest single signal. | −30 … +15 |
| Connection | A shop that does not use encryption, or disappears, cannot be trusted with payment details. | −20 … +5 |
| Legal notice | In the EU, shops must name the company behind them. Fake shops leave it out or copy it from real companies. | −12 … +8 |
| Contact e-mail | A free mail address instead of the shop’s own domain suggests nobody invested in the business. | −10 … +4 |
| Returns policy | Legitimate shops explain returns and the right of withdrawal. Missing policies are a warning sign. | −6 … +4 |
| Payment methods | Fake shops push advance bank transfer or crypto because these payments cannot be reversed. | −10 … +4 |
| Discounts | Prices far below every other shop are the main lure of fake shops. | −15 … −4 |
| Domain name | Domain endings and sales words that appear disproportionately in fake-shop domains. | −6 |
| Brand in domain | Copying a well-known brand name makes a fake shop look official. | −18 |
| Mail server | Without a mail server, the shop cannot receive your messages or complaints. | −5 … +2 |
| Visitor reports | Reports from people who ordered. They are counted, not verified individually. | −20 … +3 |
Score bands
70 and above: few risk signals. 40 to 69: mixed signals. Below 40: many risk signals. Widely known retailers are marked as such.
Limits
The check reads the home page only and cannot see inside the checkout. A well-made fake shop can pass most tests; a new honest shop can fail several. Use the result as a reason to look closer, not as a final answer.