When determining whether a website is real or fake, there are a couple of identifiers to help someone avoid fake, shady websites. Firstly, checking the domain can identify whether a website is fake. Fake websites will try to resemble the real website with domain names through slight alterations. For example, a fake website’s domain name would be Wallmart.com to resemble the real Walmart.com.

Another way to identify a fake website is the web page’s UI/UX or design. Fake websites try to imitate the real website’s design but tend to have poor designs when it comes to their user interface and experience. An example of this would be numerous pop-up ads.

Another way to identify fake websites is to check if the connection is secure through Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) or a padlock icon that web browsers show. The user must be careful with a website with only HTTP or no padlock.