Bots, carding attacks, and fake orders are a real headache for Shopify merchants. They eat inventory, drain your payment processor, and generate chargebacks. Here’s how to protect your store.
Signs Your Store Has a Bot Problem
- Sudden spike in traffic with no sales
- Multiple orders from the same IP with different cards
- Orders with mismatched shipping/billing addresses
- Chargebacks within 24-48 hours of an order
- Checkout completions in under 5 seconds
Fix 1: Enable Shopify’s Built-In Fraud Analysis
Shopify automatically scores every order for fraud risk. Orders flagged as “High risk” should be reviewed before fulfillment. Go to Settings → Payments → Fraud prevention to configure automatic holds.
Fix 2: Install a Fraud Prevention App
- FraudLabs Pro — free plan available, comprehensive fraud scoring, blacklist management
- NoFraud — real-time decision engine with chargeback guarantee
- Signifyd — enterprise-grade with financial guarantee on approved orders
Fix 3: Enable Google reCAPTCHA on Checkout
Shopify has built-in reCAPTCHA integration. In Settings → Checkout, scroll to “Spam protection” and enable it. This stops automated checkout bots without adding friction for real customers.
Fix 4: Restrict Countries You Ship To
If you’re seeing bots from specific countries you don’t serve, restrict your shipping zones in Settings → Shipping and delivery.
Fix 5: Use Cloudflare as Your DNS Proxy
Pointing your domain through Cloudflare adds a free bot management layer before traffic even reaches Shopify. Enable “Bot Fight Mode” in the Cloudflare dashboard.
What to Do With Confirmed Fake Orders
- Do not fulfill the order
- Cancel and refund immediately (prevents chargebacks)
- Report the customer email/IP in your fraud app’s blacklist
