The sole purpose of fake websites is to deceive unwary internet users into believing they are authentic. When done correctly, phony websites closely resemble real ones in appearance and behavior. Therefore, they might imitate your bank or mobile provider, leading you to believe that acting normally while using them is acceptable. Scammers are developing more convincing merchant websites to trick customers into thinking they are making online purchases from reputable companies. It’s also doubtful that you will ever find evidence of your money or orders after being deceived.
Fraudsters use them in at least a few different ways. But essentially, they will trick you into giving over personal information or leverage various security flaws to install malware on your computer. Knowing the warning signs is crucial because they can only succeed if you do not notice them. This article will assist users in determining what is true and what is fraudulent on the web.
- Understanding how URL works
Fake websites frequently mimic authentic ones, like the website of your bank. If you carefully examine the URL, you can see misspelled words or even a fraudulent website using the domain name of a real one as a subdomain. Such differences reveal the outcome of the game.
The parts of a website a hacker can control are listed below:
- Domain
The attacker cannot change the top-level domain (.com) that comes before it. It can, however, fool visitors by using a similar domain (google), as demonstrated in the image above.
- SSL Certificate
A green padlock next to the address bar frequently creates a false sense of security. Unless it’s an EV, any website can purchase an SSL certificate.
- Content
Anything below the lengthy horizontal line is susceptible to modification to resemble any website. There is no method for a browser to alert you that the page you are viewing is phony.
- Favicon
Anyone who wants to create a phony website can use Google’s favicon, which is recognizable in the top left corner.
- Subdomain
If you don’t pay close attention, a subdomain may pass for a domain. Google.com.search-source.com, the exact domain of her fictitious website, can be thrown at you by an attacker.
- Use a fraudulent website detector
Try running the website via a phony checker if you’ve done everything above and still have questions. The best choice, in this case, is Google’s Safe Browsing feature. All you have to do is paste the iffy URL into the checker, and it will tell you whether it is Legit and secure enough to visit.
- References and Reviews
On websites, legitimate services have a lot of reviews. Stay away if the website you are visiting lacks any. It’s a good idea to see if a company is listed before placing an online order. If not, that raises a serious concern.
Even yet, phishers can occasionally develop online profiles. In those circumstances, reading the evaluations ought to be sufficient to spot fake websites. Fake reviews frequently lack specifics regarding what was good or poor about the reviewer’s experience and are generic. You should be skeptical if they come across as robotic or superficial. The simplest way to find reviews is to use the search term “[brand name] + review”; this should help you find reviews posted on less well-known websites.
Wrapping Up
Make a formal report to the proper authorities if you suspect the website is stealing money. Even though it takes some time, it is worthwhile if it reduces crime.