There are various websites people browse through in a day. The internet is filled with real as well as fake websites. Hence, it becomes difficult for a user at times to identify fake websites. These websites are built with such efficiency that it becomes a task for the visitor to distinguish the difference. A visitor might face various difficulties when unknowingly the person visits a fake website. Issues such as system corruption, slow loading of a web page, the revelation of personal information, phishing emails, and various other risks can hamper the visitor.
Therefore, it is necessary to have basic knowledge about identifying fake websites from real ones. This helps to improve the user experience and provide one with faster results as well. Let us have a look at some of the basic tips one can follow to identify an unfeigned website:
- Avoid opening a link embedded in a mail. Instead, type the link in the browser.
- Avoid opening fishy sites that seem unfamiliar. If it asks for personal information do not fall prey to it.
- The information presented on the website doesn’t look legitimate then the website might not be real. One can have a cross-check by contacting the numbers mentioned on the website to gain complete information.
- The URL of the website you visit frequently is one of the major signs to identify it. If the URL at times doesn’t seem familiar then one should avoid opening such a link.
- If the website offers too lucrative offers then one should investigate it. If the offers, products, or services offered by the website are too good to be true then one should not get trapped in them easily.
- Checking the properties of the hyperlink also helps one to identify the real destination of the website.
Let us have a detailed look at the steps one can perform to identify a real website:
- Trust Seal
The trust seal of a website is one of the safest and easiest ways to identify a website. It helps one to know the website’s concern about its safety and security. The stamp is the authority of the security partner of the website. Clicking on it will help one to know about the authenticity of the stamp and how it helps to keep the website and its users safe.
- Check the Certificate Details
HTTPS is a way that encrypts the information between the server and visitor. But at times this method isn’t completely safe as well! Hence, it is necessary to have a check at the security certificate of the website. If the browser flags a website as ‘not secure’ then one should avoid filling up personal details in it. Even though the site uses HTTPS one should not trust the website completely.
- Verify Mentioned Details
The phone numbers, email id, and contact details mentioned on the page can be cross-checked to know how genuine the website is. One can dial the numbers mentioned on the website page and also send mail on the mentioned email id. The email id should not be generic, it should have the brand name in it.
- Role of Social Media
Social media in today’s generation is one of the biggest influencing tools. It makes one acquainted with those businesses one might have never heard of. Hence, people can fulfill their needs and gain information accordingly just with a single click. Hence, well-renowned companies have their social media accounts. Have a look at them to know their reviews and gain a deeper knowledge about the firm. A fake account might just use the company logo and lead to a feigned website that is of no use for the visitor.
- Avoid Clicking on Unnecessary Links
One should not click on the link mentioned in an email. The moment one opens the mentioned link it leads to a feigned website that compels one to share bank and other personal details. They might disturb one by displaying messages such as they might suspend your account. But one does not have the authority to do so. Therefore, one should avoid clicking on such links and sharing personal information.
- Grammatical Errors
Grammar plays a vital role in the identification of a website. Grammatical errors, improper sentence formation, threatening language, are all signs of a fake website, while on the other hand, genuine and reputed websites are all about respectable language. They do not threaten their clients, on the contrary, they try to help their clients in case an issue erupted. Hence, the role of grammar and healthy language is one major aspect to identify the authenticity of a website.
- Google Safe Browsing Transparency Report
Google Safe Browsing Transparency Report helps to identify the authenticity of a website too. One can enter the URL in the tool and identify whether the website is fake or genuine.
- Website Privacy Policy
A genuine website will have a complete privacy policy. It allows the users to go through the steps about how the visitor’s data is stored, secured, and used ahead. People have to agree with them to grab deep information about it. A fake website will not provide complete information on the privacy policy pages. The shipping and handling policies won’t be presented crisply.
- Inspect URL
Fake websites try to make the URL appear just like a genuine website. But one needs to catch certain slight changes that help one to identify the fake from the genuine. The use of Cyrillic alphabets can trick one to believe the fake website is a legit one. Copy the URL and paste it on the address bar to reveal more about the website.
- Website Malware
Popping ads, inappropriate emails, phishing emails, unidentified links, are all signs of a malicious website. These signs help one too to rectify a genuine website. the moment such activities appear on the opening of a website one can guess the website is fake. One should also avoid entering personal information on such pages.
Conclusion
The following write-up is a quick guide to help one distinguish between a genuine and a fake website. Many people are not able to identify a fake website and end up sharing personal information on such sites. Therefore, it is necessary to know basic guidelines to avoid getting trapped in such situations.