Hackers use sophisticated techniques to clone legitimate websites and scam people. Often, they are so similar to official sites that they are not immediately recognizable, especially if the user does not pay enough attention to details.
We are talking about the so-called “Brand Phishing”, and targets numerous well-known brands such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon. So, how do you recognize scam sites?
Check for graphics and grammatical errors
Fake sites may have poor quality graphics and obvious grammatical errors. Legitimate platforms usually invest heavily in such checks before publishing a page or product.
View the URL
Secure sites have the HTTPS protocol with a padlock next to it Additionally, you should also pay attention to the domain. Fake sites, in fact, tend to modify only small parts, so as to go almost unnoticed and confuse less attentive users.
Check the website design
Hackers work in secret and often create rough versions of legitimate sites.
To spot fake sites, it is essential to carefully inspect the pages and content present before purchasing anything If too simple or poorly designed, they can be fake sites.
Verify your contact information
One section that fake sites are sorely lacking is contact and support information. In fact, bad actors often ignore this aspect.
If the site only has a contact form and doesn’t offer an alternate or non-business email address, something is wrong. Legitimate sites carefully maintain contact with the customer and are very available if they have questions or need a refund.
Check your payment options
Official sites offer many payment options (such as credit and debit cards, cash on delivery, deferred or installments), most of which are traceable and secure.
Fakes, on the other hand, have non-refundable and non-traceable payment methods, so the user cannot recover their money in any way.
Check the return policy
Scammers do not put enough effort into creating an effective and user-friendly return policy, while official platforms do everything possible to protect consumer rights.
If the return policy is too complex, complicated, or non-existent, it’s probably a scam site.
It’s also a good idea to check other sections such as “Terms and Conditions” and Privacy Policy Their absence should serve as a wake-up call.
Check the website content
Apart from grammatical or typing errors and poor graphics, another element to check is the content of the pages. Fake sites often use social engineering techniques to trick users into taking action. For example, they try to create fear or urgency, so that people act quickly without thinking.
Check the source of origin
One of the most common phishing techniques used by hackers is through email or text messages. When you receive Email message or SMS containing links from seemingly legitimate sources, remember to never open them.
Hackers may have created an address similar to the original one to mislead you. Legitimate sites never ask for sensitive information such as financial information or passwords via email. It is recommended to access the desired website directly from the search engine.
How to protect yourself from scam sites?
In addition to carefully checking the site, its content, its pages and its source, it is essential to use anti-phishing tools to protect yourself from scam sites. A first line Defense against attackers uses a VPN. But how does a VPN work?
In fact, virtual private networks allow you to protect your privacy and online browsing. Create an encrypted tunnel that protects incoming and outgoing data, hides your IP address (only provided by the VPN server), and further secures your device or connection.
In this regard, not all VPNs are created equal. In fact, only premium VPNs have sophisticated security tools, which warn you about scam sites, malware, suspicious links or other malicious software lurking on the web.
