Tips for Quickly Identifying Scam Sites

Fake websites are an ever-growing and constantly emerging threat across the digital landscape. Scammers are continually finding newer ways to scam unsuspecting users, and according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, almost 3 million new phishing and fake websites were created and discovered in the first half of one year alone. 

These websites have been created to steal personal information, including account passwords, financial details, and identities. So unsurprisingly, at one point or another, you may have wondered how do you check if a website is safe or not. That’s what the team at My Computer Works will help you with. 

We’ve discussed how you can check if a website is safe and keep yourself from becoming the victim of a fraudulent website scam. Here are our practical tips on how to spot a fake website and keep data safe.

These Are The Tips To Follow To Identify Scam Sites Quickly

As you know, it’s becoming increasingly important to be careful when browsing the internet, as scammers are becoming more sophisticated in creating fraudulent websites. 

To safeguard yourself from being victimized or at least protect vital information, you must know the typical warning signs of fraudulent websites. The following are tips for identifying fake websites and staying safe online.

Check HTTPS and Security Certificates

One quick way to identify a scam website is to check whether it has an SSL certificate. SSL certificates indicate a safe and encrypted link between your browser and the website. Secure websites will begin with “https://” instead of “http://,” and you will often see a lock icon in the address bar.

Not all sites with an SSL certificate are safe; scammers are smart enough to include them in their fraudulent websites. However, you can click the padlock icon beside the URL to see more details about the website’s certificate and check whether it is valid.

While how to tell if a website is fake goes beyond searching for SSL and ‘https://,’ this is a good first step toward assessing a website for credibility.

Don’t Be Fooled By Awards and Security Logos

Good cyber fraudsters know that people trust websites more if they have awards and security logos. This means an online shopper will be likelier to buy from a website simply because these trust indicators are available. 

Unfortunately, it is easy for fraudsters to copy and paste award badges or security logos onto their fraudulent websites to give them an air of authenticity. 

When you see a badge or certification on a site, verify it with the organization that issued it. Legitimate companies will have no problem confirming whether a business can display its logo.

Spot Look-Alike Domains That Mimic Legitimate Websites

Fake websites often trick users by creating very similar domains to legitimate ones. They might use minor variations, such as switching letters or numbers. For instance, a scammer could create a fake website with the URL “PayPaI.com,” where the capital “I” replaces the lowercase “L” to mimic PayPal. That’s why it’s vital to search the business’s website before clicking on that suspicious link or giving out personal information. 

In addition, you need to pay extra attention to a subdomain name and be cautious because the most common trick is creating subdomains that look just like actual websites, such as “microsoft.fakewebsite.com.” These fake domains can catch even the weariest of browsers, so beware. 

Look For Broken Links, Low-Quality Images, and Bad Grammar

Scammers don’t usually spend too much time polishing their websites because their main goal is to scam as many people as possible before their site gets shut down. For that reason, fake websites usually have several cautionary flags they raise, including:

• Poor spelling and grammar: Serious companies use professional writers and editors. You’re probably on some scam site if there are spelling mistakes galore, weird phrasing, and grammar issues.
• Pixelated or low-resolution images: Scammers frequently steal or resize photos without making them look professional. Anything from a low-resolution logo to blurry product images should be a huge warning sign.
• Broken links: A phishing site may contain broken links or links redirecting you to unrelated pages. Links to broken sections, especially the menu navigation, are an unabated signal that the site may be a scam.
• Lack of contact information: Any genuine company would have an “About Us” or ‘Contact Us’ page with all details and contact information clearly listed. If a website does not link to a physical address, phone number, or other contact information, it might be a fake website.

Look For Payment Methods That Signal a Scam

Another major red flag of a scam website is its payment methods. Most scam websites urge users to pay with non-recoverable or non-traceable means of payment, such as wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency. 

A legitimate site would offer a variety of secure options for payments, such as by credit card, through services like PayPal, or other trusted services such as Klarna or Afterpay. When only questionable options are available, that guarantees something is not right.

Tools and Techniques for Verifying the Legitimacy of Online Sites

Now that you know how to quickly identify a scam site, you might be wondering if there are any tools you can use to help you with this task. Fortunately, there are a few tools you can use, like the following: 

• Google Safe Browsing: This free tool lets you see whether a URL has been flagged for phishing, malware, or other harmful activities. You can access it through Google’s Safe Browsing site status checker.
• ScamAdviser: How to hold a website can help you determine if it’s a scam site. ScamAdviser can be relied upon to ensure its authenticity since it analyzes a website and gives a probability rating of the site’s safety based on age, popularity, and location. 
• Browser Plugins: Various browser extensions and plugins designed to spot scam sites can also help you avoid scam websites. For example, Norton Safe Web has website ratings that enable you to avoid fraudulent activity on some websites.
• Whois Lookup: This tool helps you find out who owns the domain. Many fraudsters hide their identities or obtain domains with fake information. On the other hand, genuine businesses usually register their domain publicly, and this tool can separate the former from the latter. 

The Wrap-Up On How To Tell If A Website Is Safe

In today’s digital world, it turns out to be even more important to identify whether a website is fake. That’s because fake websites are made compellingly, and scammers constantly find new ways to dupe users into giving out sensitive information, as you now know. But by learning how to recognize suspicious signs, check for SSL certificates, avoid look-alike domains, and use verification tools, you can protect yourself from falling victim to fake website scams.

If you are ever in doubt about specific websites, don’t risk it. Do some research or use a verification tool. In addition, if you need help protecting your digital data or assistance with any computer issues, call My Computer Works today. We’ll set you up with tips, tools, and software so you can stay safe online and protect your personal information from scammers.