How to Spot a Scam Brand Before You Get Burnt

Shopping online should feel easy. But with so many pop-up brands and dodgy websites out there, it’s smart to be a bit suspicious.

Here’s how to tell if a brand is real, or just trying to take your money.

1. Look out for fake reviews

Not all reviews are real. Here’s how to spot the dodgy ones:

All posted on the same day or week
No mention of what the product actually feels like or fits like
Over-the-top praise with zero detail
All perfectly formatted and with no typos or grammatical errors
Check for the tell-tale long dash chat gpt generated reviews
A high number of reviews submitted in a cluster but no consistency over time
No dates or product-specific details
A new brand with an unnaturally high number of reviews

Real reviews talk about:

How the clothes fit
Whether they’d buy again
How they felt wearing it (confidence, comfort, compliments)

At Kojo Fit, our reviews are detailed and personal. They tell real stories. You can read them right on our site.

2. Check the About Us and location info

A real brand has a face. A purpose. A home.

If there’s no About page, no story, and no listed location – walk away.

Check if they mention where the business is based, who started it, or why it exists.

We’re proud to be Australian-owned and based in Newcastle. Our story’s on our site and you can call us anytime.

3. Look them up on Trustpilot (and know how to read it)

Trustpilot can be useful. But be careful. Some brands pay for fake reviews or use bots that slip through their fake review detection software.

Red flags:

All 5 stars with generic praise
No 1-star or 2-star feedback at all (that’s not real life)
Similar review structure or tone
The positive reviews all have only 1 review ever submitted

Instead, look for:

Verified buyers
Real product photos
Honest, balanced feedback
Read the 1–2 star reviews for patterns, not just one-off issues

You can also Google “[brand name] reviews” and see what shows up outside of their site.

4. Read the return policy

No return policy = no accountability.

If it’s hard to find, full of fine print, or asks you to ship items back overseas with no refund guarantee, skip it.

Some brands offer no refunds, with exchanges and store credit if you are lucky.

Some will not accept returns if any discount code or price marked down.

Kojo Fit offers easy 30-day returns. No questions asked. Full refund, store credit or exchange.

5. Look for phone numbers, addresses, and real contact info

If a brand doesn’t want to be contacted, that tells you everything.

Check the footer of the website. Is there:

A phone number?
A physical address?
Anything at all that tells you where they are based?

We list our contact number, address and we reply fast.

6. Test the brand before you buy

Still unsure?

Send them a message.
Ask a question about fit or delivery.
See how fast they reply and how helpful they are.

If you get a copy-paste answer or no reply at all, run.

At Kojo Fit, we reply fast. We know buying online takes trust. And we respect that.

7. Check their social media and scroll

Look at their Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. Scroll back.

Are they active over months or years?
Do they post real people wearing their stuff?
Are there comments from happy (or unhappy) customers?
Does it feel real or is it just ads?

Be cautious of accounts that:

Started recently but already have tens of thousands of followers
Only post studio product shots or AI generated images and never show real customers
Have turned off comments

At Kojo Fit, we’ve built a real community. You can scroll back years and see it for yourself.

Final Tip

A scam brand hides. A real brand is proud to show who they are.

Be careful of the "drop shippers" that ship directly from an unknown overseas location and never actually handle or design the products.

Buy from family-owned brands like us or other independent Aussie brands.

Do your research, trust your gut, and don’t settle for average. You deserve better.

And if you're looking for clothes that actually fit your body? You’re already in the right place.

Kojo Fit is Australian owned and operated since 2018

How to Spot a Scam Brand Before You Buy