How to Identify a Fake Website
A fake website is a scammer’s attempt to pretend to be a reputable business when in fact they don’t provide any goods or services: their “business” is to trick you into thinking they do it and make you pay for it. . There are different types of fake websites to be aware of: those that try to imitate an authoritative website and those that create their own unique website.
In this video below , Jordan Lyles, a reporter for the fact-checking site Snopes , takes apart a fake site that tries to imitate the Kay Jewelers site. As you can see, scammers are good at imitating real reputable websites; if you’re not on your guard, it’s easy to click the wrong link, view a fake website, give away your money, and potentially steal your personal information in the process.
In this other video, Lyles shows an example of a fake website that doesn’t try to imitate any reputable website, but is its own unique scam site. However, a unique fake website uses the name of the famous YouTuber MrBeast , who is known for giving away cash and other prizes.
Red flags on fake sites
Domains . The first thing you should always pay attention to is the domain name of the URL and email. Many of these fake websites will use fictitious domains like lifehacker.com in the hope that you won’t notice the spelling mistake. Others use subdomains that include an extra “.com” to make it look like the official domain, such as www.lifehacker.com.lh.com. What comes before the last “.com” matters. Similarly, when it comes to email, the domain speaks volumes. Most legitimate businesses will not use a Gmail or Hotmail account; they will have their own domain, like @lifehacker.com.
Design : Design quality can also be a sign of a fake website, like the November Christmas sale in the fake Kay Jewelers video above. Think of them as glitches in The Matrix. They tell you that the website is actually a simulation of the real thing. Because they are designed by scammers, they are bound to contain some flaws.
Secure website . There are two ways to find out if a website is secure. You can look at the padlock on the URL of this page (left to “lifehacker.com”). If it is blocked, you are on the so-called “protected” page. You can also make sure it’s an HTTPS link, which uses encryption to secure your connection. Otherwise, if you see an open padlock or HTTP, it means the website is not secure and you are more vulnerable to hackers.
Visit the About / Contact Us page . While hackers and spammers are very technically savvy, most of them don’t take the time to create a believable story about their “business” (unless they’re copying it from a reputable site). If their “about page” isn’t convincing, be careful. Their contact information, or lack of it, is also important.
Tools to identify fake websites
While a close look at the details mentioned above is helpful, sometimes you just need a quick and detailed answer. Machines are here to help. Check out these two fake checking websites:
Domain Tools : The authoritative and Better Business Bureau-recommended ” Whois ” search tool from Domain Tools provides vital information about who, what, where, and when a website was created.
Check the Whois results for the fake MrBeast website . You can see a lot of the red flags we discussed earlier. The website is very recent, it was set up in São Paulo, Brazil (although he apparently lives in North Carolina ) and their registered email address is “abuse@namecheap.com”. Too on the nose, even for a scammer.
Scam Detector : Another great and completely free website is Scam Detector. It checks a lot of the same stuff that Domain Tools does, but instead of laying out all the information for you, it gives you a rating out of 100 based on its own metrics, which it considers important in assessing whether a site is legit or not. The fake MrBeast website scored a surprisingly high 62.5 , even though it is a scam. This tells you that you should not completely rely on such tools to do all the work for you. You still have to use some critical thinking and go beyond the headline.
Now that you are armed with powerful tools and a keen eye to spot fake websites on the Internet, you, as the person who knows best, should help those who don’t: you should always report a scam , especially if you fall for it.