Fake websites are increasingly harder to tell apart from real websites as hackers get more knowledgeable and proficient at reproduction. Fake websites are created to obtain sensitive data illegally like usernames, passwords, or credit card information before an individual realizes that the site is not legitimate. Some of the ways to identify fake websites from real ones include: misspelled URLs or misspells on the website, checking for site seals, looking for a certificate lock, or using a website checker. When observing a website, ensure that the URL is spelled correctly and that it is https and not http. Hackers purchase variations of a legitimate site’s name with the intent of someone misspelling a site and arriving at theirs. At this point, hackers have the opportunity to gather your information or credentials when you attempt to log in to the fake site with your actual site information. Also, when looking at websites, observe the spelling of words throughout the site and the company’s name credibility. If you look at most URLs, there is now a lock to the left of the website. This lock is known as a certificate lock. This lock is supposed to identify legitimate sites with trustworthy certificates, however as more hackers are finding workarounds to bypass the certificate lock, a thorough check of validity is important to verify if the lock is truly legitimate. Some websites also have a DigiCert secure seal that indicates that their website has been verified and is trusted. When clicking on the DigiCert, it should reveal more information about the site that makes it trustworthy. If the link does not work or is not present, the site could potentially be fake and should be checked before using any credentials. A website checker can also be used if there is any question regarding a site’s legitimacy. A website checker like DigiCert SSL certificate checker will check the website’s server to see if it is working and checks to see if the certificates are current or expired.

 Source:

Coclin, D. (2021, March 24). How to Identify Fake Websites. DigiCert. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.digicert.com/blog/how-to-identify-fake-websites