Unfortunately, many of these websites live only to scam you out of your personal data or money. Here are a few signs to look out for to spot a fraudulent website. In contrast, fake sites often display poor design elements such as mismatched fonts, low-resolution images, and inconsistent formatting.
Sometimes the goal of a fake app or website isn’t to steal your information, passwords, or money — but to infect your device with malware. Official retailers have a dedicated webpage detailing their shipping and return policy. If the website you’re on doesn’t explain how to return an item, it’s a scam.
How do I know if a link is phishing?
Often, scammers use fake tracking numbers to pretend relevance in accounting for whom they’ve shipped your order. It’s a good idea to verify the contact details provided on the site, too. A legitimate website usually lists multiple ways to get in touch — including a phone number, email address, and physical location. If these details are missing or are fake, it’s a red flag that the website might not be genuine. Both platforms feature real-time, uncensored feedback and can cover niche topics or lesser-known websites that might not appear on mainstream review sites.
How do I know if a website is safe?
Try to read through the shipping information and return policy to ensure that everything stacks up. If any of these pages are missing or lacking important details, avoid dealing with this website. While online reviews may not always be the most reliable — especially with heavily curated on-site reviews — you can still learn a lot from the experiences of others.
We scan the website with multiple domain blocklist engines and other security services to better detect dangerous websites. If you encounter any of these issues, contact the seller directly for resolution. If the response is unsatisfactory or you receive no response, escalate the issue by reporting it to your payment service and seeking a refund.
Suggested searches
An empty website that’s trying to collect your information is one that you simply can’t and should not trust. If a site feels a little sketchy, or if you want to make a purchase but don’t want to trust your financial information to a company you don’t know, reach out using the contact information. They may have other ways for you to make a purchase that you feel more comfortable with. If a site doesn’t have an SSL, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is unsafe.
- No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively.
- The rise of AI content has made it easier for scammers to whip up passable content for sites, so you also need to be on the lookout for anything that doesn’t seem authentically human.
- If you see the green lock symbol, that means the website owners have applied for and received a secure SSL/TLS security certificate from a company authorized to sell them.
- These are almost never real, and your scam meter should be going off like a bell once you read them.
- The page design looks exactly like what you’d find for Facebook, except for the clearly wrong URL.
Sites that are riddled with design issues and spelling and grammatical errors could be a sign that a site isn’t safe. Pharming attacks and spoofed sites are designed to trick you into providing your personal and financial information to what appears to be a site you already know and trust. However, scammers will often make mistakes when it comes to the text and functionality of these sites. Finally, if you check the domain age, you’ll see it’s only 19 days old.
This search will tell you who owns a website so you can make a more informed decision about where you want to spend your money. If a site is owned by someone other than the purported owner (or you can’t find a way to contact them), you’re probably better off taking your business to a more reputable company. Reviews provide a pretty good picture of whether or not a website is safe, because people don’t like being scammed or having their information shared without permission. Most websites have privacy policies due to legal requirements, but it’s also the fastest way to learn about what information a site can collect from you and how they use it. You can usually find the privacy policy linked in the footer at the bottom of the website or via a site search. An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a digital certificate that certifies that a website is legitimate and that it offers encryption to protect personal information and financial data.
This makes staying vigilant and knowing how to spot a fake URL of paramount importance. If you’ve accidentally clicked a scam link, there are two golden rules. First, don’t enter any details into the website and close it as quickly as possible. For all the internet’s merits, one of its major pitfalls is the ease at which scams and fraud can be committed.
If the site is deemed risky, the tool will warn you, offering an explanation about the potential dangers. Antivirus software is the most reliable protection against fake sites. It helps you avoid inadvertently giving away personal information, downloading malware, or falling victim to other scams.
In their fake websites, scammers use deceptive scam tactics and all sorts of trickery to exploit unsuspecting users. Fake URLs are a vital component of ‘phishing’ – a scam that involves fraudulently obtaining a person’s data by posing a legitimate, trustworthy entity. Criminals will go after login details and financial information or attempt to install malware on the device. If you purchased something using your credit or debit card from the fraudulent site, the first thing you should do is call your bank immediately and report to them what happened. They’ll freeze your accounts and cards so that the threat actor can no longer purchase anything with your details.
Not only can these security tools protect your financial and personal information, but they also help protect your devices from debilitating malware. There are various telltale signs that you’ve landed on a scam website. For instance, poor grammar, suspiciously low prices, and URLs that misspell real brand names. Recognizing these (and many other) red flags can prevent you from compromising your personal details or making unsafe payments. Read on- and off-site reviews for mentions of fraud, non-delivery, or even identity theft.
Contact information on its own isn’t a guarantee that a site is safe, but it is a signal that there is a person or a team of people who are ready to assist you if you have questions. You can report the fake website to Microsoft by submitting its URL on the Microsoft Security Intelligence page. You can report the fake website to Google by submitting its URL on the Google Safe Browsing page. The site also includes a section called “What investors say,” featuring stock photos of people claiming to be investors.
