How To Prevent Fake Orders on WooCommerce

Running an eCommerce store can be challenging on multiple fronts. This is especially true when dealing with the disruptive issue of fake orders. Fraudulent transactions not only skew your sales data but also waste valuable time and resources. This can severely impact your overall business performance.

Imagine discovering that a significant portion of your orders are fraudulent. Your inventory is thrown into chaos, your marketing efforts are based on misleading data, and you face mounting operational costs. Let’s not forget the mountain of chargebacks. This situation can damage your store’s credibility and erode customer trust. It is frustrating, overwhelming, and a little bit heartbreaking.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. First, this is a fixable problem. Second, this article will provide you with actionable insights into identifying fake orders. Finally, we will help you understand why they happen and how to prevent them.

TL;DR: Bot protection and fraud prevention tools are the most effective measures against fake orders because they actively identify and block malicious activities in real-time. For WooCommerce sites, we recommend installing MalCare for effective bot protection and comprehensive fraud prevention.

What are fake orders?

Fake orders are fraudulent purchase attempts that can severely impact your online store. These orders often involve bogus customer details such as false names, addresses, and contact information, with no genuine intent to pay. Perpetrators may use stolen credit cards or other invalid payment methods, leading to significant financial and operational disruptions.

How to identify fake orders?

Understanding how to identify fake orders can help protect your online store from fraud. Here are some key indicators to watch out for:

Multiple orders in quick succession: Fake orders often come in batches within a short time frame. Fraudsters usually use bots to place multiple orders before being detected. If you notice several orders from the same customer or with similar details placed within minutes or a few hours, this could be a red flag.
Multiple orders at weird times: Another indicator is the timing of the orders. If you receive a spike in orders during odd hours, such as late at night or very early in the morning, it might be worth investigating. Most legitimate customers typically shop during normal daytime hours, depending on your target market’s location.
Unusual shipping destinations: Take note of unusual shipping destinations, especially if they are regions you don’t frequently serve or are known for high fraud rates. Shipping to PO boxes or international addresses with a high incidence of fraud can be particularly suspicious.
Customer details seem random: Fraudulent orders often involve customer details that don’t add up. Names, addresses, and email combinations that look random or nonsensical can indicate fake orders. Additionally, inconsistencies such as different names for billing and shipping addresses or mobile numbers with a random string of characters are also good signs.

How to stop fake orders?

Fake orders can be detrimental to your business, leading to wasted resources, skewed data, and potential financial losses. Here’s how you can protect your WooCommerce site from these fraudulent activities:

Use bot protection: Integrate bot protection solutions that specifically target and block malicious bots. These tools continuously monitor your traffic to identify and block automated attacks in real-time, significantly reducing the risk of fake orders. If you own a WooCommerce site, install MalCare. Apart from a malware scanner that can find zero-day malware and a one-click malware cleaner, MalCare comes with a firewall that provides excellent bot protection.
Enable CAPTCHA on checkout: Adding CAPTCHA to your checkout process is an effective way to prevent automated bots from placing fake orders. CAPTCHA requires users to complete a simple test, ensuring they are human and not automated scripts.
Install fraud detection plugins: WooCommerce offers a range of fraud detection plugins that can help screen for suspicious orders. Tools like MalCare provide comprehensive security measures, including fraud detection and prevention features tailored for WooCommerce sites.
Verify customer emails regularly: Implement email verification during the registration and checkout processes. Requiring customers to verify their email addresses can deter fraudsters who use fake or temporary emails to place orders.
Limit payment method retries: Limit the number of payment attempts allowed per customer. Multiple failed payment attempts can be a sign of fraudulent activity. By restricting retries, you can reduce the chances of fraudsters succeeding.
Monitor for suspicious behavior: Regularly monitor your website for unusual patterns, such as multiple orders from the same IP address or high-value orders placed in a short period. Early detection of suspicious behavior can help you take immediate action.
Implement address verification: Use address verification systems (AVS) to ensure that billing addresses provided by customers match those on file with their payment providers. AVS helps to flag any discrepancies and reduce fraud.
Block known fraudulent IPs: Maintain and update a list of known fraudulent IP addresses. Blocking these IPs from accessing your site can prevent repeat offenders from placing fake orders.
Require strong customer passwords: Enforce strong password policies to ensure that customer accounts are secure. Strong passwords, that include a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, make it harder for fraudsters to gain unauthorized access.
Employ two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for customer accounts. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through a second method, such as a text message or authentication app.

How To Prevent Fake Orders on WooCommerce - MalCare (1)

Conduct regular order audits: Periodically review and audit your orders to identify suspicious patterns or discrepancies. Regular audits can help you catch fake orders that may slip through automated defenses.

Why do fake orders happen?

Fake orders can occur for various reasons, each with its unique set of motivations and implications. Understanding these motivations can help you better protect your online store from such fraudulent activities.

Test payment gateway security: Some fraudsters place fake orders to test the security of your payment gateway. By attempting transactions with stolen or invalid credit cards, they try to identify weaknesses in your payment system that can be exploited later for more significant fraudulent activities.
Cause operational disruptions: Fake orders can significantly disrupt your business operations. Fraudsters may intend to overload your system with false data, causing inventory mismatches and delays in processing genuine orders. This can lead to reduced efficiency and increased operational costs.
Collect product or pricing data: Competitors or malicious entities might place fake orders to gather intelligence about your products, pricing strategies, and inventory levels. This data can be used to undermine your competitive advantage or disrupt your supply chain strategy.
Practical joke or prank: Unfortunately, some individuals create fake orders simply as a joke or prank. While their intentions might not be malicious, the impact on your business can still be significant, leading to wasted resources and operational inefficiencies.
Credit card testing: Fraudsters often use fake orders to test the validity of stolen credit card information. By placing small orders, they check if the stolen cards are still active and can be used for larger, more damaging purchases later.
Attempt to exploit discounts: Promotions and discounts are common targets for fake orders. Fraudsters may create false accounts to exploit discount codes, resulting in financial losses and skewed marketing data. Multiple orders using different fake identities can quickly deplete your promotional inventory.

Why are fake orders problematic?

Fake orders pose various challenges and can significantly impact your online business’s overall performance and reputation. Here are some of the key reasons why fake orders are problematic:

Distorted sales analytics: Fake orders distort your sales data, making it difficult to accurately analyze customer behavior, sales trends, and the overall performance of your marketing efforts. This can lead to misguided business decisions based on incorrect data.
Stock inventory mismanagement: Fake orders can create false inventory levels, leading to stock depletion messages for genuine customers. This mismanagement can result in lost sales opportunities and frustrated customers who cannot find the products they want.
Increased operational costs: Processing fake orders adds unnecessary workload for your staff, leading to increased operational costs. Time and effort spent on identifying, canceling, and addressing fake orders could be redirected to more productive activities that benefit your business.
Negative impact on cash flow: Fake orders often involve bogus payment methods, meaning you might not receive the funds for these transactions. This negatively impacts your cash flow, making it difficult to manage day-to-day business expenses.
Potential chargeback issues: Fake orders frequently involve failed or disputed transactions. Chargebacks not only result in lost revenue but can also incur additional fees from payment processors, further straining your financial resources.
Wasted marketing resources: Promotional campaigns and discount codes can be exploited by fake orders, leading to wasted marketing resources. Fake orders can consume valuable offers meant to attract genuine customers, diminishing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Strain on customer support: Customer support teams may face increased workloads handling complaints and inquiries related to fake orders. This added strain can degrade the quality of service provided to genuine customers, potentially harming customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Loss of genuine customers: Repeated experiences with out-of-stock messages and delayed order processing due to fake orders can frustrate genuine customers, forcing them to shop elsewhere. This loss of customer trust can have long-term negative effects on your business.
Increased transaction fees: Each transaction, whether genuine or fake, usually incurs processing fees. Fake orders inflate the number of transactions, increasing your costs without contributing to actual sales.
Higher risk of account suspension: Frequent chargebacks and disputed transactions can raise red flags with your payment processors and banks. In severe cases, this could lead to account suspension or higher transaction fees, adding more financial strain on your business.
Tarnished store reputation: Fake orders can harm your store’s credibility and reputation. Customers who experience issues due to your business dealing with fake orders might leave negative reviews, which can deter potential new customers from shopping with you.
Extra time spent on verification: Identifying and verifying genuine orders in a flood of fake ones can be labor-intensive. This additional verification step takes away time that could be better spent enhancing your product offerings or improving customer service.

Final thoughts

Fake orders can generate a tremendous strain on your resources, finances, and operational processes, severely disrupting your business. These fraudulent activities demand extra time and effort from your customer support and management teams to verify, process, and cancel the fake transactions, leading to increased operational costs. They can also distort inventory management, resulting in stock shortages for genuine customers and potential revenue loss.

Moreover, frequent chargebacks and disputed transactions can affect your cash flow, incur additional bank fees, and even risk account suspensions from payment processors. To safeguard your business against these challenges, it’s crucial to implement robust preventive measures.

For WooCommerce site owners, utilizing MalCare can provide comprehensive protection through advanced bot and fraud detection capabilities, ensuring that your business remains secure and efficient.

FAQs

Why am I getting fake orders on my website?

There are multiple reasons why your website might be receiving fake orders. Fraudsters often target online stores to test stolen credit card information, exploit discount codes, or disrupt your business operations. Automated bots can also place a high volume of fake orders in quick succession, overwhelming your system. Additionally, competitors or disgruntled individuals may place fake orders to gather intelligence or sabotage your sales and inventory. Implementing robust security measures can help you mitigate these risks.

How to stop fake orders in WooCommerce?

To prevent fake orders on your WooCommerce site, you should implement multiple layers of security:

Enable CAPTCHA on checkout
Use bot protection
Install fraud detection plugins
Require email verification during the registration and checkout processes
Restrict the number of payment attempts allowed per customer
Keep an eye out for unusual order patterns
Maintain an updated list of suspect IP addresses
Enforce strong password policies for customer accounts
Add an extra layer of security with 2FA for customer logins

How to avoid fake COD orders?

Cash on Delivery (COD) orders are particularly susceptible to fraud. To minimize fake COD orders, consider these strategies:

Ask for a small deposit upfront to confirm the order’s authenticity
Manually verify the customer’s phone number and address before processing the order
Set a maximum order value for COD transactions to reduce the risk
Implement AVS to confirm the validity of the shipping address
Monitor for suspicious ordering behavior, such as unusually large quantities or multiple orders to the same address
Use CAPTCHA and bot protection to ensure orders are placed by real users
Clearly state your COD policies and potential penalties for fraudulent orders on your website

How To Prevent Fake Orders on WooCommerce - MalCare (2024)