Cart jacking and fraud: how to protect your Shopify store from fake orders and inventory loss

Imagine this: your Shopify store is booming during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). Orders are flying in, your best-selling items are disappearing off the digital shelves, and everything feels like it’s clicking into place. But what you don’t see? Someone with a fraudulent credit card is slipping through, loading up on your bestsellers, and snagging chunks of your inventory.

This is known as cart jacking—and it’s a serious problem.

During high-traffic times like BFCM or the holiday rush, fraudsters know merchants are busy focusing on sales volume. They take advantage by placing fake orders on high-demand items. Sometimes, they use stolen credit cards to buy large quantities of your top products, only for those transactions to be flagged as fraudulent later. And when that happens? You’ve lost the sale, lost the inventory, and it’s too late to resell those items during the peak shopping period.

The risks of fraudulent orders during peak times

High-traffic seasons like BFCM and the Christmas holidays are prime targets for fraudsters. With everyone rushing to shop, it’s easy for bad actors to sneak in large, fake orders while you’re focused on managing the sales flood. They know which products are hot, and they know how to exploit your inventory numbers to push through as many fraudulent orders as possible.

It’s not just the fraudulent orders you need to worry about—bots and fake users can wreak havoc on your store, abandoning carts and inflating traffic, which can end up costing you big time. In fact, a new study found that bots and fake users abandoning shopping carts cost online retailers a staggering $5.7 billion a year . That’s revenue lost before you even realize what hit you.

What makes this even worse? You might not realize the damage until after the chaos of the season dies down. By the time the chargebacks start rolling in, the inventory is gone, and you’ve already missed out on legitimate sales. It’s a one-two punch: you lose out on revenue and the chance to resell those items to real customers during the peak shopping period.

How order limit apps can help you prevent cart jacking

One way to fight back? Set order limits. Apps like DC Order Limits can protect your store by capping the number of items a customer can purchase in a single transaction. This reduces the risk of fraudulent buyers cleaning out your inventory in one swoop. By limiting how much someone can buy—especially when it comes to high-demand products—you’re adding a layer of security that makes it harder for scammers to take advantage of your store.

For example, if you know your best-selling items are at risk, you can use DC Order Limits to restrict the number of units per order or set an overall cart maximum. This not only discourages fraudsters but also prevents bots or scrapers from quickly clearing out your stock.

Why you need this during high-traffic times like BFCM and Christmas

During BFCM and the Christmas shopping season, it’s not just about fraud protection—it’s about keeping your inventory available for real customers. Setting up order limits ensures that your best-selling items don’t get scooped up in bulk by bad actors, leaving your actual shoppers empty-handed. It also means you’re more likely to spread out sales across more buyers, keeping your stock balanced and your customers happy.

Plus, it gives you peace of mind. While you’re dealing with the rush of orders, you don’t have to constantly worry about someone exploiting your inventory, knowing that you’ve got safeguards in place.

What else can help?

In addition to using an order limit app, consider pairing this with fraud detection tools like Shopify Fraud Protect. These tools can automatically flag suspicious orders before they go through, especially when paired with features like address verification or reviewing orders with high-risk indicators (like mismatched billing and shipping addresses).

You can also adjust your checkout flow by requiring extra verification on large orders or implementing captchas to slow down bots.

Peak shopping times are when your store is at its busiest—and most vulnerable. By implementing strategies like order limits with apps like DC Order Limits and strengthening your fraud prevention measures, you can avoid the pain of cart jacking and keep your store safe from fraudulent orders. While BFCM and the Christmas season are about boosting sales, a secure store means those sales actually stick.