In this article we’ll explain how Shopify theme fraud can harm you and how to prevent it from happening to your online enterprise.
“And fraudster was his name-o”
As any ecosystem, Shopify is teeming with predators. Perhaps, the worst type are the theme thieves — the grifters who reap other developers’ fruit and resell it for a temptingly low price.
This scam tactic can harm your business threefold — that includes legal issues, the platform’s restrictions, and having to rebuild your store from scratch. We’ll explain which red flags to look out for when buying a ready theme and how to protect yourself: from recruiting Adpolice alternatives to boosting the client awareness.
Shopify under shopi-fire
The issue:
Unscrupulous developers or scammers run ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram that look highly official. They use magnetic words like “Official Store,” “[Popular Theme Name] Official,” or “Shopify Approved.” The ad creative elements often mimic Shopify’s or the legitimate developer’s branding.
In 99,9% cases, these themes cost much lower, while presenting surprising quality: the visual design is lavish, the color palette is straight charming, and your shop’s name just sits there like a pearl in the crown. What on earth can go wrong?
In reality, such “custom-made” themes are a copy-paste job that contain someone else’s code, concept ideas, or proprietary design elements that you have no right to use.
Repercussions:
1. Defunct page
First, scammers add just a bunch of little tweaks to the stolen code and call it a day. You will be making no sales whatsoever: the Shopify page will glitch, the cart won’t be adding products, and there will be strange freezes or redirects. Or it can crash for good, just an hour after you have proudly launched it.
2. Injection threat
Often, scammers sell shiny-pretty themes for a buck just to stuff it with backdoors. Backdoors are basically code components that allow intruders to get a hold of the sensitive data through the high-level access. That means that card details the buyers enter will land right in the hands of the scammers who will deplete their bank accounts in less than a minute.
3. Legal impact
Code, just like design concepts, and creative ideas is intellectual property. Shopify’s policy forbids intellectual piracy and blatant copycatism — ignoring this may result in your ban on the platform, which can be indefinite in some cases. Besides, there’s no guarantee that the legit owner of the stolen theme won’t take legal action against you.
4. Damaged reputation and extra costs
Any of the mentioned scenarios are possible when you’re using a stolen theme, even if you’re unaware. In the worst case, it can result in customers losing their money and having their private data compromised, which leads to liabilities and compensations. In the best case, you’ll have to kiss goodbye to your $300-400 paid for the theme and rebuild it from scratch, maybe even paying a few extra thousands.
Putting an end to swindlers
So, what can you do to avoid this nightmare? Here are some tips:
1. Only official themes
Avoid buying them via freelance websites, Instagram, or from TG-channels. Only the official store: all devs there are verified and chances for a moleware to sneak in are virtually zero.
2. Use brand protection
Brand protections services will help you evade scam maneuvers on many levels. Especially ads monitoring: if someone’s using your theme, brand, or product names without permission, it will pin them down and have their page removed.
3. Go for community’s help
If you read this after you’ve already paid some random developer online and feel confused about your theme, reach out to Shopify’s community. Well-seasoned veterans of e-commerce don’t mind sharing their knowledge and expertise, and even checking the legitimacy of your theme.
4. Check the license
Protect your store by regularly checking your theme with tools like Shopify’s Theme Inspector. Maybe, consider a professional audit for a deeper review. And always be wary of developers who restrict your access to the theme’s code — this is a massive red flag.
5. Check the tools they use
Verify your developer uses standard Shopify technologies like Liquid and creates editable sections. Essential to this is rejecting any theme with some strangely obfuscated or encrypted code — that’s how backdoors are installed for future sabotage. In the end you should have a full control of your store.
What can the developers do?
Faced with this wave of fraudulent ads, theme developers also take action. Their first line of defense is constant vigilance — they actively monitor search engines and social media for impersonators with the monitoring tools. When they find a fake ad, they launch a rapid response, reporting it to the platforms for takedown.
But playing whack-a-mole with scammers is an endless hassle. That’s why a huge part of their strategy is focused on their community: you. They are proactively educating merchants, using blogs and newsletters to clearly state their one-and-only official website and emphasize the dangers of nulled themes.
By empowering customers with knowledge and directing them to safe purchasing channels like the official Theme Store, they build a shield of informed users. It’s a continuous effort, but it helps to protect their work and ensure you have a safe, successful experience.
Keep your brand safe
Follow our tips and chances of your Shopify store getting sabotaged or being defunct will be down to zero. We have more essential insights coming, so make sure to stay tuned.