Fake websites can expose you to malicious cyber attacks, including identity theft and financial fraud. They can also infect your device with viruses and malware.
You can identify fake websites by checking for basic warning signs such as pixelated images, poor spelling and grammar, awkward language, or no ‘Contact Us’ page.
1. Poor Design
The internet is full of fake websites, which are used to steal your personal information or exploit various vulnerabilities to install malware on your device. These scam sites are designed to look and feel like the real thing, so it can be difficult to tell them apart from legitimate websites.
Watch out for poor design quality, such as pixelated images or odd layouts. Also, look for spelling mistakes and odd grammar. Legit websites typically have editors and writers on staff to avoid these errors.
Another tip is to check how long the website has been in existence. A stale domain can be a warning sign of a fake site.
2. Poor Grammar
When you visit a legitimate website is islegitorscam.com, the graphics look sharp and the spelling and grammar are on point. If you see a website that seems like it was put together by someone with a third-grade education or who doesn’t speak English as their first language, be wary.
Spelling and grammatical mistakes are among the top reasons why a job applicant’s resume lands in the trash. A solid grasp of grammar can project an air of intelligence and authority, similar to the way a well-tailored business suit can make you stand out in a crowd.
3. Intense Calls to Action
Fake websites can include a variety of warning signs like spelling and grammar errors, sloppy design, and unrealistic offers. Often, these sites are trying to trick you into sending sensitive information such as passwords or financial information or installing malware on your device. In addition, if a website only accepts PayPal or Western Union or prepaid gift cards and no major credit card providers, this is another red flag.
You should also look for pixelated or low-quality images, confusing design and logos, difficult navigation, and no contact information (or only a generic form) on the website. Legitimate companies will always list how to get in touch with them.
4. Intense Intrusive Ads
Most websites feature ads of some kind, but if a website has excessive pop-ups and tries to block your ability to close or navigate the site, that’s a big warning sign. Also, pixelated or low-quality images can be a hint that the site is fake.
Clone websites can trick you into submitting personal information or downloading malware by mimicking legitimate sites. These sites often ask you to pay fines, extend insurance policies, confirm passwords or bank information, or rush you into a transaction. Legitimate brands will never use these tactics.
5. Poor Customer Service
Scammers often turn to fake websites to steal your personal information, such as account passwords or financial data. They also use these sites to trick you into sending money or committing other types of fraud, such as phishing and package delivery scams.
Legitimate e-commerce sites usually include pages about shipping, return policy, and payment methods. If a website lacks these pages or only has a contact form to email, you should consider it suspicious. Awkward language and design flaws, like pixelated images or blurry logos, are also a warning sign.
6. Poor Customer Reviews
Fake reviews can ruin a company’s reputation and cause long-term damage. They can bring down a business or product rating for no good reason, try to lift another competitor’s ratings, or simply be untrue.
Look out for generic, shallow or robotic-sounding reviews that lack details about the positive or negative aspects of a company’s service or products. Also, beware of reviews that use lots of exclamation points.
If the same person writes reviews for a variety of different companies, this is a sign that they are not being honest. Click into a reviewer’s profile to see what other reviews they have written.
7. No Physical Address
Scammers often use fake websites to collect personal information or money from unsuspecting victims. By spoofing a brand’s URL, favicon, and security certificate, scammers make it difficult to tell if a website is real or not.
Another important tip is to check the website’s domain age. Just like your unique home address, each domain has an age. If the site’s domain is very young, it’s likely a fake.
It’s also important to look at what forms of payment the website accepts. Legitimate sites should offer a variety of options, including credit and debit cards, cryptocurrencies, and “buy now, pay later” services.
