False Websites

Seven ways to spot a fake, fraudulent or scam website
It can be difficult to spot a fake, fraudulent or scam website. Fraudsters are extremely cunning and good at creating convincing websites.

Take these seven simple steps to test whether a website is legitimate or not.
 * 1) Double check the domain name
 * 2) * A lot of fraudulent websites will use a domain name that references a well-known brand or product name. But won't be the official website.
 * 3) * For example, website domains such as www.ipadoffers.net or www.discountnikeclothes.com should raise alarm bells.Fakewebsite613777.JPG
 * 4) * You should also be cautious of domains that end in .net or .org, as they are rarely used for online shopping so may have been acquired by questionable organizations.
 * 5) Offer too good to be true?
 * 6) * When you see very low prices with ridiculous discounts, you should be a bit suspicious. If prices seem too good to be true then, sadly, they probably are.
 * 7) * Scam websites use low prices to lure bargain-hungry shoppers to quickly sell fake, counterfeit or non-existent items.
 * 8) * You can use our tips for spotting a scam to help you identify if something is actually a good deal or simply a con.
 * 9) Never pay by bank transfer
 * 10) * Alarm bells should ring if you are asked to pay for something online via a bank transfer.
 * 11) * If you buy something that turns out to be fake or non-existent with a credit or debit card, you do have some rights to get your money back.
 * 12) * But if you pay by bank transfer, there’s very little you can do to get your cash back.
 * 13) Browse the website
 * 14) * Take a couple of minutes to double-check the site. Maybe visit the homepage or the ‘About us’ pages and read the text there.
 * 15) * Watch out for poor English, such as spelling and grammar mistakes, or phrases that don’t sound quite right.
 * 16) * It could mean the site isn’t genuine and was put together by someone abroad looking to make a quick profit.
 * 17) * You should also check that the website lists any contact information.
 * 18) * Reputable and legitimate companies will always list ways to get in touch with them; if the website doesn’t have a ‘Contact us’ page, it could well be fraudulent.
 * 19) * If the site does have ‘Contact us’ page but only offers a form to fill out, be wary as this could also be an indication of a dubious website.
 * 20) * Any company offering goods or services should list a place of business, as well as a phone number or email address through which to contact them.
 * 21) * If none of this information is available, you should treat the website as highly suspicious.
 * 22) Check the returns policy
 * 23) * If the company is selling a product online, it should have a shipping and returns policy listed on its website.
 * 24) * If it’s a real company, it should tell you how and where to return a faulty item.
 * 25) * The website should also have terms and conditions, and a privacy policy that tells you exactly what it plans to do with any data you share and any extra-contractual rights you may have.
 * 26) Read some online reviews
 * 27) * Look at reviews across a number of sources, such as Trustpilot, Feefo or Sitejabber, which aggregate customer reviews.
 * 28) * Don’t look at just one review website – check several to avoid being influenced by potentially fake reviews.
 * 29) * You should also check the company’s social media pages for recent activity and to see what other people are posting on their social channels.
 * 30) Can you trust a trust mark?
 * 31) * Research carried out by ANEC, a European consumer organization, found that seven in ten people say they’re more likely to use a website with a trust-mark label or logo.Scrn-SSL.gif
 * 32) * But with more than 50 different trust-mark labels and logos in use across Europe, and many countries also not using them at all, they are not always a sound way of judging whether a website is trustworthy.
 * 33) * Also, just because a website appears to carry the logo of a reputable trade organization, it still doesn’t necessarily mean the website is genuine.
 * 34) * If you’re in doubt, you could always contact the trust-mark company to check.

See Also

Data Privacy Standards

Data Protection Systems

Data Tracking

Cyber Security

Social Media

Works Cited

How to spot a fake, fraudulent or scam website. (n.d.). http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-spot-a-fake-fraudulent-or-scam-website