Tips & Tricks, User Experience

5 Ways To Determine If A Website Is Fake, Fraudulent, Or A Scam

Did we ever consider that the website we are surfing is good? Is anything that makes the website suspicious or doubtful when...

Written by Deepanshu Gahlaut · 3 min read >
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Did we ever consider that the website we are surfing is good? Is anything that makes the website suspicious or doubtful when we are using it. Whenever we use a website, we need to ensure that the website we are using is safe to use and doesn’t harm us. 

Because when we use a website, we might have some sensitive information that means very precious to us that we don’t want to get leaked or stolen from us like we make bank payment, e-mail address, credit card details, etc.

So whenever we are using a website, we need to be assured that the website is not fake, suspicious, inappropriate. We should keep in mind that we will look at how to determine whether the website is suitable for use or not: ways that determine if a website is false, fake, or scam.

HTTPS

First of all, we need to check at the beginning of the website address whether it contains https:// or not. It is the easiest way to identify the authentication of any website.

There is a catch also that some websites use http:// (no’s’). S stands for secure. It shows that the site is secured and is in encrypted form to protect it from hackers. 

It’s not like that the website that is using http://(no’s’) does not always mean it is a scam or fraudulent site, but one needs to be more cautious before using such websites.

Also, we have seen that when we try to open any site not having https in its address, then our browser also shows us a warning that ‘the site is not secure, please don’t enter your details here.’

Some browsers like Google Chrome or UC browser highlighted unsecured web addresses in red or say “Not secure.”

Domain Name and Age

The next is a simple way to find the authenticity to check the website address’s domain name. They always try to manipulate you by using the same name with different spellings like Yaahoo.com or Amezon.net.

Different users find different ways to check website authenticity. As technology is overgrowing, hence there are many ways to detect it.

The most crucial part is that the users should not blindly rely on any website providing any free service. 

Looking at the domain age means checking the website’s age that shows much time that site is activated. Because fake or scam websites don’t last for more than a year.

It generally means that you need to handle the website more carefully with such sites. So, it is one way to check the website authenticity about fake or real, which helps the user be more attentive when using the website.

Originality

It must have valid and genuine contact information. One must always check the contact details to ensure the reliability of the website.

Whenever you visit any website, look at the website for a couple of minutes and take a look at the ‘About Us’ pages, and read their text. Check the website’s English proficiency and look at the phrases that don’t look good or suspicious. 

Reputable and good companies will always list how to contact them because good companies always let their users get in touch with them.

If some website doesn’t contain a “Contact us” page, that might be a fraud or scam. If any website doesn’t provide any information regarding them might be suspicious. So, always look for the website information to make sure you will be on the safe side.

Legal Transactional Modes

The payment mode should be a standard payment option like a credit card or PayPal or redirected to the genuine bank server or payment server.

People are making a fake website to transfer funds from innocent users’ accounts by providing false details.

Payment should not be made from any unsecured mode. It needs to be from a legitimate method.

Suspicious Ads

The last way to find out the fraud website is to check that whether the ads are more than its content or when you try to click on any detail or content its automatically redirected you to some other pages. It always looks suspicious.

Users should always use antivirus to protect their system from any such malware and viruses.

There are ways to check website security by clicking on the padlock in the address bar. It shows the information about the website security connection details and the validity of its SSL certification and the identity of the owner or issuers. It provides security issuers details that show that the website owner owns a legal property. 

This gives relaxation to users a little more, but it doesn’t indicate that the website is still threat free. Some might get SSL certification for free from different technologies, according to Kaushal Malkan from TechWhoop. How will we be more satisfied when using the website to be safe from threats and website authenticity.

It doesn’t show that the website ultimately is free from threats or regarding safety issues, but it is one way to check the website’s authenticity.

Written by Deepanshu Gahlaut
I write on SEO, content marketing, latest technologies, and social media. You can find me online, or at home watching sci-fi movies, listening songs, or sleeping. In addition, my latest obsession is creating, collecting and organizing visual content on my new blog - Infopixi, to help bloggers, marketers, and businesses. Profile

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