There are many ways to identify if a website is fake or not. A few include:
- misspelled URL
- Error messages when clicking on the site link
- A missing padlock (including a not secure message)
To verify the validity of the website, you can check for things like:
- A padlock in the search bar
- The website’s connection type
- The TLD of the website (.gov, .org, etc.)
Some examples of authentic websites include:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (fda.gov)
(images from BBB Tip: How to identify a fake website)