When entering a browser like Google, you may see that there are millions of websites to
choose from. Within all of these websites, some may be fake pages or scammer sites. It is very
important for online users to avoid clicking on these sites to prevent bugs and viruses.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the knowledge of what to look for to spot fake websites.
Some of the tips I use when going online is always clicking the website that is part of the top
3 shown. For my safety, I avoid scrolling down and clicking options that are lower on the page.
For example, For my financial aid, or any government agency website, I make sure I choose the
correct one. Which is usually on the top. Because these are government websites, I make sure
they end with .gov or .org. Never fully trusting a website that ends with .com, as it is easier to
create a fake .com site. Another thing I look for when logging onto important websites is
searching for contact information within the website to make sure there is a legit contact
address or phone number (usually a 1800).
As stated above, I avoid clicking websites that are not on the top three options of my
browser page. I used to log into facebook online but since now there are apps for social media,
there is no need. If for some reason, I must log into my social media pages online using google,
I will go on the app and have it “take me to their site.” Or, I will click one of the top options for
logins. Never log your sensitive information such as email, username or password for a non
verified site. Hackers may easily access your information when you do this.
The “login” website must have a Facebook logo and not other unknown logos. The URL is a
great way to start, it must look familiar and not have spelling errors.
As a shopaholic I am known for buying things online for no reason! Every now and then I
may get an ad on Facebook or tiktok, showing me something cool that I might be interested in.
Because apps like these cater to things you like, it’s easy for me to fall victim to scammer sites
or even falling into the trap of spending my money on something I absolutely do not need! If
something is too good to be true, it might be a scam! A tip I use when shopping online is by
going to reviews and watching reviews on things others may have bought. Hoping the product is
exactly what is advertised and to make sure they actually received their purchase. Just a month
ago I had purchased an online digital cartoon custom art file. This new idea of turning yourself
into a cartoon had been trending but I was not sure which site to buy from, as there seemed to
be so many websites available. I had bought from “Custom Arts Co.” Although they did not have
many reviews online, they did have a FAQs page and contact information. I would not trust from
PicMonkey.com or LOGO.com. These websites have the same concept as Custom Arts co., but
they do not have many reviews and are not on the top of the browser page.

Zedlia is an online retail store that I also came across of and is definitely a scam. After
seeing some reviews, customers did not receive a tracking number after their purchase and
most of the clothes that were shown on this site were from other clothing stores online! Because
of this, people stick to shopping online from Amazon or even SHEIN instead! The amount of
women who have been scammed from Zedlia was heartbreaking as now they have lost money
and time looking for clothes they hoped to wear and will now not be able to!
Overall, there are many mays to be scammed online! It is important to spot the difference
between a real and fake website before clicking any links or inserting sensitive information such
as a credit card