£179 for trainers that never arrive

It's Sunday evening. You're scrolling Instagram. An ad: Designer trainers, usually £349, today £179. Only 3 pairs left.

You click. The site looks good — slick photos, lots of star ratings, a countdown ticking. A Trustpilot-style badge at the bottom. You enter your card details. "Payment by bank transfer only, unfortunately." Strange, but you want the trainers. You transfer.

After a week: no email, no tracking. You write to support@... — bounces back, the address doesn't exist. Now you Google the shop name and find fifty warnings on Reddit.

Your money's gone. The Trustpilot badge was a picture, not a link. The reviews were faked. And the domain? sneakersdeal-outlet.shop — sounded professional, was registered three weeks ago.

This happens to all kinds of people. Fake shops get more professional every day. In this module you'll learn to unmask them in under 30 seconds — and how to pay in a way that lets you claw your money back if something goes wrong.