Fake Versus Real Websites

One website that was faked was PayPal. The real PayPal is a great and reliable website, used almost like instant banking. It lets you send or receive money online, in person or at some participating stores. In late 2023, there was a fake website that mimicked PayPal extremely well. It looked very legitimate. However, there were a few things that looked off. The URL especially gave away the fake website. The hackers created fake URLs similar to Paypals, like “paypaysecurity.com” (Lakovics). They even created fake emails to lure people into the site, grabbing victims attention by claiming there were account issues. 

Netflix has an extremely well known presence on the internet, allowing you to stream your favorite movies and shows from any devices, such as your TV, computer or your phone. Hackers also tried to create a fake Netflix website. The email claimed that there was an issue with their payment method, and that Netflix was trying to verify it. There were a few red flags in the emails, such as a low quality Netflix logo, unspecific customers being listed, and a button that said “retry payment”, and incorrect punctuation. All of these seem incredibly obvious as a scam, but not many people are taught to look out for these things. 

Another scammed website was Nike. Hackers created a fake website, offering exclusive deals on Nike products (Lakovics). A screenshot of the fake website was provided, and it was immediately apparent that it was a scam. The URL read “suewhitehurst.com”. Compare this to the Nike website, which is simply “nike.com” and the difference between them is plain as day. One common find in fake websites is grammatical errors. At the top of the fake website is a text regarding their shipping that reads “We Free Shipping Worldwide.” Those simple grammatical errors can show a lack of professionalism and legitimacy. 

References

Lakovics, Z. (2024, September 23). 5 recent examples of fake websites. Memcyco. https://www.memcyco.com/5-recent-examples-of-fake-websites/