How to Spot Fake Shopify Sales: A Complete Breakdown from Experience

Here’s Why This Guide Exists: A couple of weeks ago, I bought a trending product from a Shopify store that looked solid.

The sales popups kept flashing — “Sophie from Manchester just bought this!” — and the countdown timer told me there were only 2 left.

I hit buy in under a minute. Felt like a smart, fast shopper.

Turns out, it was all fake. The product never arrived. The refund policy led nowhere. And worse, those fake sales notifications? Completely made up by a plugin.

That’s why I put this guide together — to show you exactly how to tell if a Shopify store is using fake sales tactics to pressure you into buying.

Let’s break it down.

Why Do Shopify Stores Fake Sales in the First Place?

This comes down to a simple idea: urgency = conversions.

The more pressure they put on you to act fast, the more likely you are to buy without thinking twice.

Tools like “Sales Pop” or “Fomo” create fake social proof by showing constant notifications of people supposedly buying the product.

Here’s why store owners do it:

• To create FOMO (fear of missing out)
• To simulate popularity, even if no one’s buying
• To create urgency, so you buy fast before you “miss out”
• Because these plugins are easy to install and customise — no tech knowledge required

Many Shopify owners use these tools ethically, showing real customer activity. But a large number either completely fake the data or loop in old customer data that no longer reflects real-time activity.

Signs You’re Looking at a Fake Shopify Sale

This is where it gets practical. These red flags are based on real shopping experiences and testing fake stores.

🔴 Obvious red flags

• Popups show the same names repeatedly (e.g. “Tom from London” every 30 seconds)
• Countdown timers reset every time you refresh the page
• No customer reviews — or reviews look copy-pasted from AliExpress
• Only one product in stock, but it’s been “low stock” for weeks
• All prices end in 7s or 9s with huge markdowns (e.g. £79.99 down to £19.99)

⚠️ Subtle signs to watch for

• Vague or missing refund policies
• No phone number or real contact page
• Popup sounds or animations every few seconds
• Lots of urgency, but no social media presence
• Store created recently (you can check using a WHOIS lookup)

These aren’t hard rules. But when several of these signs stack up, it’s time to be suspicious.

Tools and Tricks I Use to Spot Fake Sales

You don’t need to be a tech expert to catch fake Shopify sales. These are simple checks you can do in under five minutes.

🔍 Use Inspect Element to Check Popups

Right-click on the sales popup and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” (depending on your browser). If you see hard-coded names or looping scripts, that’s a clue the data is fake.

Most real-time sales tools pull from Shopify’s order feed or use API data. If it’s just a looping script, it’s fake.

🚫 Turn Off JavaScript

This is a fun one.

Disable JavaScript in your browser settings (or use the “Disable JavaScript” Chrome extension), then refresh the page. If the sales popup disappears, it was powered by a script — which means it’s almost certainly fake.

🧰 Check for Common Fake Sale Apps

Here are a few Shopify plugins widely used to simulate demand:

You can usually detect these by scrolling to the bottom of the store and looking for app branding like “Powered by Fomo.”

Check If the Scarcity is Real

This one is easy to test.

Add the item to your cart. Refresh the page. If the “only 3 left” counter resets — or says the same thing again — it’s fake scarcity.

No real inventory system would reset like that.

You can also:

• Try adding 10 of the item to your cart — most fake stores will let you do it
• Wait a day and revisit the page — if the counter hasn’t changed, it’s not live

These simple tests work 90% of the time.

What Legit Stores Do Differently

Good stores are transparent. They show:

• Verified reviews (often with third-party tools like Judge.me or Trustpilot)
• Clear refund policy with real contact info
• No shady countdown tricks or looping names
• Consistent social media presence
• Product pages that don’t scream “BUY NOW OR ELSE”

If you’re not sure about a site, look it up on:

• Trustpilot
• Sitejabber
• ScamAdviser

If it’s flagged or has no reviews at all, that’s usually a sign to back off.

Are Fake Sales Actually Legal?

Here’s the grey area:

Shopify’s own terms ban fraudulent activity, but there’s no strict rule against using urgency tools or fake popups — unless it becomes deceptive advertising.

So technically, most of these fake sales tactics fall into the “not illegal, but definitely shady” category.

Regulators in the UK and US are starting to crack down on fake urgency and deceptive marketing. But for now, it’s mostly up to consumers to stay sharp.

The Impact on Shoppers Like You and Me

When fake sales work, it hurts real businesses. Legit stores get drowned out. And customers get scammed, delayed, or never receive what they ordered.

Here’s what usually happens when people fall for fake Shopify sales:

• They get low-quality or totally different products
• Customer service doesn’t respond
• Refunds are impossible
• Their data might get misused or sold

You can always dispute the charge through your bank or PayPal, but it’s a headache. And it’s avoidable.

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed by a Fake Shopify Store

If you bought from a store using fake sales tactics and didn’t get your order, it sucks — but you’ve still got options.

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and possibly recover your money.

✅ File a chargeback with your bank or credit card company

Start here. Most credit card providers offer buyer protection and will allow you to dispute the charge if the product didn’t arrive, was fake, or the seller isn’t responding.

• Call your bank or use your online banking portal
• Provide screenshots of your order, any communication, and the product page
• The sooner you file the dispute, the better — banks often have a 60 to 90-day window

If you used PayPal, file a dispute through their Resolution Center. PayPal usually favours the buyer if the seller can’t prove shipment or delivery.

🛑 Report the store to Shopify

Here’s the official Shopify form where you can report fraudulent stores.

Shopify does investigate these reports, especially if there are multiple complaints. It doesn’t guarantee immediate action, but it puts pressure on them to shut down scam shops.

You’ll want to include:

• Store URL
• Your order number (if available)
• Any emails or evidence showing you were misled

📢 Leave a review on Trustpilot or Sitejabber to warn others

If the store is listed, leaving a review can help others avoid the same trap. If it’s not listed yet, you can create a listing yourself and upload your experience.

Even one honest review can save someone else from getting scammed.

Pro tip: Share your review link in Reddit threads or Facebook groups where people ask about the store. That’s often where others are doing their homework.

🔐 Check your email security — if you shared sensitive info, change passwords

Scam stores often harvest more than your money.

If you created an account or entered any sensitive information (like your full name, phone number, or even login credentials), take a minute to:

• Change your password, especially if you reused it elsewhere
• Turn on two-factor authentication
• Keep an eye out for phishing emails that follow after the scam

You don’t want this one bad purchase to turn into identity theft down the line.

🚚 Watch for fake tracking numbers — many scam stores send fake shipping info to delay disputes

One of the oldest tricks in the book is sending a tracking number that looks real but never updates.

You’ll get an email that says “Shipped” — but when you click the tracking link, it’s either blank, stuck in pre-shipment, or leads to a completely unrelated delivery.

That’s intentional. It’s designed to stretch out the dispute window so you miss your chance to file a chargeback.

If the tracking doesn’t show movement in 5–7 days, don’t wait. Start the dispute process anyway.

Don’t sit on it. If it smells off, act fast.

Time is your biggest asset when you’ve been scammed. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get your money back — and the more likely someone else will fall for the same fake store.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Rush a Purchase

That “Only 2 left!” banner might just be code.

Don’t let fake urgency push you into clicking “buy.”
Take your time. Do your checks. And if the site feels off — trust that feeling.

You can still shop on Shopify — there are thousands of great stores out there. But knowing how to separate the scams from the real deals is what protects your wallet (and your sanity).