Most of the guides that already go over spotting fakes and scams do a pretty good job. Unfortunately some guitar buyers are being perhaps a little too paranoid.

First of all, it is not cost effective to make a really good fake on any but the most collectible guitars. If you compare good pics of what you know is real to pics of the guitar in question and you can find no differences at all chances are it is real. Look at knob placement, logo, bindings, overall shape etc.Keep in mind there are often very slight variations between slightly different models or the same model over time so be certain you are comparing pics of the EXACT same model if possible. Be careful of blurry pics especially if there is just one!!! Ask questions!!

Also in order to not get scammed look at how long the seller has been around, check their feedbacks AND the feedbacks of their past buyers. Does it seem fishy? Is everyone involved a brand new member? Bad sign!

If the seller has been selling guitars for a long time to buyers who apparently have been buying a lot of guitars for a long time then that is a good sign.

Look at a sellers feedback and then investigate the users who gave them that feedback. Then take it a step further and investigate where they got their feedbacks. Often when I do this I will find a feedback in there from someone I have bought from or sold to in the past. That is a good sign!!!

A couple of these guides insinuate that all Asian countries are to be avoided. I am American, live in Japan and am 100% positive you are at least 10 times more likely to get scammed by a buyer based in America than one out of Japan. Excluding sellers solely because they are overseas is ignorant at best. Let us not be ignorant.

Research, research,  research!!