Fake websites, just like fake products, are often hard to tell apart from genuine ones. What these websites have in common is that they are created for malicious purposes, other than what they promote through their content. Fake websites can either be built from the ground up as new websites that promote a brand, a service, or an organization that doesn’t really exist, or they might be copies of established websites. Since the number of scams carried out through these websites has increased over the past years, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued several recommendations on how to avoid them.
What are fake websites and how do they work?
Fake websites are often created for phishing purposes. Cybercriminals use bogus ads as a hook to lure people to these websites where they are asked to fill in a form to access a promotion or get a discount. After they gather the personal information they need, the makers of these websites can use them for data theft or sell them on the dark web. Fake websites can also enable hackers to access users’ devices. Once you click on a link or a button on those sites, you might unknowingly download a piece of spyware on your computer. This type of malware can access and share your sensitive information and your accounts. Many fake websites are also created for e-commerce purposes; they promote and sell products but often don’t deliver them, or deliver fake/defective items.
How to spot and avoid a fake website?
There are a few common patterns that have been encountered in many fake websites, especially those that mimic real ones. These might be the most dangerous fake websites because, given their striking resemblance with the genuine pages, people are less cautious when accessing them.
A fake website is often hard to spot because its URL is very similar to that of the original website. However, since it is not possible to have two websites with identical names, cybercriminals must improvise. To do this, they slightly alter the URL’s name. Therefore, if you look closely, in a fake website’s URL that tries to mimic that of a real company, you will see extra letters, missing letters, misspelled words, or letters that are swapped. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to spot a fake website.
Another frequent trick hackers rely on when creating lookalike websites are subdomains. These subdomains are not difficult to get because they don’t struggle to copy and slightly alter the full name of a website. They just use the main words in that website’s URL.
A clear example the BBB provides to help consumers understand how these subdomains work is netflix.com.movies.com. This name is very easy to confuse with the real domain name that is movies.com.
Another tip that is also supported by Kaspersky, a leading name in the cyber security field, is to watch out for the website’s design quality. You don’t need to be an expert in web design to do this. Simply pay attention to the quality of the photos, the website’s layout, its videos. A poorly designed website is a red flag, especially if it claims to represent a reputable company or professional.
Furthermore, if you plan on buying products from a website that looks shady, there are a few additional elements to check. A contact page, a return and refund policy, as well as a terms and conditions page should not miss. Fake websites are often devoid of some or all of these sections because their purpose is to simply collect customers’ data or take their money. They don’t typically provide a phone number or the physical address of their company.
Finally, to make sure you don’t invest real money in fake or inexistent products, you should also do a bit of research before shopping from a new website. Look for customer reviews to see what others say about that website. If you’ve come across a known scam, you will probably find different complaints online. Simply type the name of the website followed by the word ‘scam’ or ‘reviews’ and see what you can find. If, the website is legit and has been offering products or services for a while, you will probably find at least a few reviews about it.
Article by, Bastion Balance Korea.
