Recognize a fake shop
Signs that this could be a fake shop:
Payment only by prepayment with a transfer to a foreign bank account.
Missing or incorrect imprint (compulsory content: address, authorised representative, e-mail, entry in the commercial register)
Missing contact options or only abroad or only by e-mail
Missing or faulty general terms and conditions
In the case of offers via the large mail order companies such as Amazon or E-Bay:
Request to be contacted before ordering
Conspicuously low-priced offers in all product areas
The provider's user account is fairly new
Further tips:
Look for reviews for the shop in question
Every shop must provide a VAT ID; you can enter this in a search engine and see if it has not been copied from another shop.
The validity of the VAT ID can also be checked online.
Check the encryption certificate of the website for security/validity. To do this, click on the lock in front of the website address in the browser and call up further information).
If a seal of approval such as "Trusted Shops" is available, check whether the seal is linked to the provider of the seal.