Shopify Fraud Orders? Here’s How I Fixed It With the Free Fraud Filter App

How to Stop Fraudulent Orders on Shopify — Fraud Filter App Tutorial

Running a Shopify store means dealing with both real customers and, unfortunately, suspicious or fake orders. In this post, we’ll cover how to protect your business from fraudulent orders using Shopify’s Fraud Filter app — a free, official app built by Shopify to block or cancel risky orders automatically.

If you’ve ever opened your Orders tab and seen a sudden spike of strange, zero-dollar orders or suspicious customer details, you’re not alone. Fraudulent activity is common on ecommerce platforms, and Shopify’s built-in Fraud Filter app can help you stop it fast.

Installing the Fraud Filter App

To start, go to the Shopify App Store and search for “Fraud Filter.” It’s developed directly by Shopify and completely free to use. Once installed, you’ll see a dashboard that allows you to create custom filters based on order details like email, subtotal, IP address, and more.

Each rule can trigger two types of actions — a warning (so you can review the order manually) or an automatic cancellation. For example, if you see multiple orders for $0 totals or identical credit card prefixes, you can block them automatically.

Example 1: Blocking Zero-Dollar Orders

One common issue merchants face is a flood of zero-dollar orders, often generated by bots. In this case, you can add a rule using the “Subtotal price” field and set it to “is 0.” Then, select “Cancel order” as the action. This ensures your store automatically cancels suspicious zero-value transactions before they clutter your analytics or trigger other problems.

Example 2: Filtering Suspicious Credit Card Numbers

If you’ve noticed chargebacks from a specific credit card issuer or bank, you can block all cards beginning with certain digits. Choose “Credit card number begins with” and input the first few digits of the problem card numbers. This prevents repeat fraudulent purchases while keeping your legitimate traffic safe.

Advanced Rule Ideas

The Fraud Filter app allows advanced customization. You can create filters for IP addresses, country codes, or customer names. For example, if you only ship within the U.S. or Canada, you can add a rule that cancels any orders from other countries automatically. Similarly, you can block specific customers who have caused repeated chargebacks.

Shopify also provides a built-in fraud analysis tool on each order page, showing you indicators like mismatched billing and shipping addresses, reused IP addresses, and other red flags. Combining that with the Fraud Filter app creates a strong, layered defense for your business.

Keep Your Shopify Store Safe

Every store owner should take a few minutes to set up the Fraud Filter app. Fraud can happen to anyone, and automating your protection helps you stay focused on what matters — growing your business. If you’re just getting started with Shopify and want a full beginner-friendly walkthrough of store setup, check out the 30-Day Beginner’s Shopify Program.

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