In today’s competitive e-commerce environment, protecting your WooCommerce store from scammers is more important than ever. Fraudulent activities not only affect your bottom line but can also tarnish your reputation. Fortunately, with the right tools and strategies, you can stop fraud in WooCommerce effectively. Managing and preventing these risks becomes straightforward when you implement proactive measures to safeguard your store and customers.
Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce offers a comprehensive solution to block malicious visitors effectively. This powerful plugin allows you to blacklist specific users by name, address, email, phone number, or IP address. Whether you use exact matches or regular expressions, you can ensure that only legitimate customers can complete transactions on your store.
Additionally, the risk scoring feature automatically evaluates each order’s potential fraud risk, giving you the ability to stop high-risk transactions before they can affect your store’s security. This proactive approach saves time and reduces the need for manual intervention.
By integrating Aelia Blacklister into your WooCommerce setup, you are not just improving your security, but also enhancing the overall customer experience, providing a safe and trustworthy shopping environment. To further enhance your protection, Check Out how to block malicious email addresses in WooCommerce for an added layer of security.
For businesses with international customers, pairing Aelia Blacklister with the Currency Switcher for WooCommerce allows you to offer a seamless and secure shopping experience with local currency options, strengthening both trust and user satisfaction.
With these tools in place, you can confidently protect your WooCommerce store and focus on growth, knowing that your security is in good hands.
Advantages of Blacklisting Scammers
1. Fraud Prevention
Blocks known scammers using emails, IPs, or phone numbers, reducing chargebacks and unauthorized orders.
2. Policy Enforcement
Stops users who cancel often or behave disruptively, helping maintain store standards and customer trust.
3. Repeat Offender Control
Prevents abusers from returning under different accounts, protecting revenue and operations.
4. Better Customer Experience
Keeps your store smooth and secure for real shoppers by eliminating fraud-related disruptions.
5. Time & Cost Savings
Reduces time spent managing scams, returns, and chargebacks—freeing up resources for growth.
6. Financial Protection
Prevents direct and indirect losses from fraudulent activities and abusive behavior.
7. Scam Deterrence
Makes your store less attractive to scammers who recognize you actively block bad actors.
8. Enhanced Store Security
Works with other tools to provide stronger, behavior-based protection against threats
How to Install and Configure Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce
Installing and configuring Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce is a straightforward process. With this plugin, you can efficiently block fraudulent users based on their email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, and other criteria. Below are the steps to help you install and configure Aelia Blacklister for your WooCommerce store.
Installation Steps
Download and Install the Plugin
Before you can start using Aelia Blacklister, you’ll need to download the plugin.
Purchase and Download:
- Go to the Aelia product page and purchase the plugin.
- After purchasing, you will be given a ZIP file containing the plugin.
1. Login to Your WordPress Admin Dashboard
- Open your preferred web browser.
- Go to your WordPress login page (usually www.yoursite.com/wp-admin).
- Enter your username and password, then click login to access your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins → Add New
- In the left-hand menu of the WordPress dashboard, hover over Plugins.
- In the dropdown that appears, click on Add New. This will take you to the Add Plugins page.
3. Click on “Upload Plugin” at the Top of the Page
- On the Add Plugins page, at the top left, you will see several options including Upload Plugin.
- Click the Upload Plugin button. This allows you to upload a plugin from your computer instead of selecting one from the WordPress plugin repository.
4. Click on “Choose File” and Select the ZIP File You Downloaded
- After clicking Upload Plugin, a new screen will appear asking you to select the plugin you want to install.
- Click on the Choose File button. This will open a file explorer dialog on your computer.
- Find the ZIP file you downloaded for Aelia Blacklister on your computer, select it, and click Open.
5. Click “Install Now”
- After selecting the ZIP file, the plugin’s name will appear next to the Choose File button.
- Click the Install Now button to start the installation process. WordPress will begin installing the plugin from the ZIP file you selected.
6. Activate the Plugin
- Once the installation is complete, you’ll see a message confirming that the plugin was successfully installed.
- Now, click the Activate button to activate the plugin on your WordPress site.
Configuring Aelia Blacklister for WooCommerce
Once the plugin is installed and activated, follow the steps below to configure it.
1. Access the Aelia Blacklister Settings
- After activation, you will see a new menu item called Aelia Blacklister in your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Aelia Blacklister.
This will open the plugin settings where you can configure your blacklisting rules.
2. Set Up Blacklist Criteria
The Aelia Blacklister plugin allows you to block customers based on various criteria, including names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, and IP addresses. Here’s how to configure each:
Blacklist Names:
- Navigate to the Blacklist tab in the settings.
- Under Customer Name, enter the names or surnames you want to block.
- You can add exact names or use regular expressions for partial matches.
Blacklist Email Addresses:
- In the Blacklist Emails section, enter the email addresses you want to block.
- You can block specific addresses or entire email domains (e.g., @fraudulentdomain.com).
- Blacklist Phone Numbers:
- In the Blacklist Phone Numbers section, add phone numbers that are linked to fraudulent activities.
- Use regex if you want to block specific phone number patterns (e.g., numbers starting with a certain prefix).
Blacklist Addresses:
- Under the Blacklist Addresses section, you can block specific addresses or regions.
- You can specify street names, postcodes, cities, or countries that you want to prevent orders from.
Blacklist IP Addresses:
- In the Blacklist IP Addresses section, you can enter specific IP addresses or ranges.
- You can use exact matches, IP address masks (CIDR notation), or IP ranges to block fraudulent sources.
3. Customize Error Messages
When a customer is blocked, it’s important to inform them of why their order was rejected. You can customize the error message that is displayed when a match is found against your blacklist.
- Go to the Messages section in the Aelia Blacklister settings.
- Customize the message that will be shown to blocked customers. For example, you can create a message like:
- “Sorry, your order could not be processed because we detected suspicious activity linked to your account. Please contact support if you believe this is a mistake.”
This ensures that customers understand the reason behind the block and can reach out for clarification.
4. Adjust Match Criteria
Aelia Blacklister offers flexibility in how matches are detected:
- Exact Match: This will block users whose details exactly match the ones you’ve blacklisted.
- Partial Match (using Regular Expressions): This allows you to block users whose details partially match (e.g., blocking all email addresses ending with @fraudulentdomain.com).
- IP Address Range Matching: If you want to block a range of IP addresses, you can specify this in the IP address section.
5. Save and Apply the Settings
Once you have configured all the blacklist criteria and customized the error messages:
- Click on Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
- The plugin will now begin comparing customer data against the blacklisted entries during checkout.
6. Monitor and Update Your Blacklist
After configuring the Aelia Blacklister plugin, it’s important to regularly monitor and update your blacklist to stay ahead of fraud attempts.
- Check Blocked Orders:
- In the Aelia Blacklister settings, you can view a report of blocked orders, allowing you to track which customers have been flagged.
- Update the Blacklist:
- As you receive new information about scammers or fraudulent activities, update your blacklist accordingly. Regularly review and add new entries to keep your store protected.
- Adjust Criteria as Needed:
- As fraud tactics evolve, you may need to refine your matching criteria or add more entries to the blacklist.
Enhance Your WooCommerce Store with Aelia Plugins
Looking to add more flexibility to your WooCommerce store? Consider using the Aelia Prices by Country for WooCommerce plugin. This powerful tool lets you set custom prices based on your customers’ geographical locations, making it easier to reflect local market conditions, taxes, and shipping costs. It’s an ideal solution for stores serving international audiences or operating across multiple regions.
By displaying location-specific pricing, you can create a more personalized shopping experience and improve your global sales strategy. The plugin integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce and is user-friendly, allowing you to manage regional pricing with ease.
To make the most of your international setup, you might also want to check out this complete guide on how to rename countries in WooCommerce. It’s a helpful resource that complements your pricing strategy by ensuring your store’s country names match your brand’s tone or regional preferences.