Here is how to recognise a fraudulent website in 2024

Nowadays, internet insecurity is growing exponentially and many keep falling victim to fraudulent websites. Here is how to recognise a fraudulent website in 2024. We believe with this short guide, you could get a good idea of how to avoid falling prey to a fraudulent website.

That said, bear in mind that, despite the resurgence of cybersecurity, fraudulent sites continue to increase and it is increasingly difficult to detect them.

How to recognize a scam when buying online?

Most online shopping consumers take risks by using their credit cards on websites. Even if there are today security devices to consume online, websites are full of scammers and it can be complicated or sometimes impossible to realize that we are facing a scam.

Lucky for you, we’ve found tips to help you detect the reliability of a website so you don’t get scammed and become one of the many victims of the web.

Check the legal notices of the site online

All professional websites must put their legal notices at the bottom of their page to inform the public.  They must display the surname, first name and address, the business name of the company, its address and its telephone number.

Depending on the status of the company, the legal notices must include the registration number in the trade and company register. For merchant sites, the consumer must be able to be informed of the general conditions of sale with the costs and delivery date, terms of payment and after-sales service.

If you do not see any of these mentions on the website, do not buy from this fraudulent site. In case of doubt before an online purchase, do not hesitate to contact customer service or the technical support of the website to avoid a scam.

Check the HTTPS address bar of the live site

To check the reliability of a website, nothing better than checking the address bar of the site you are browsing.  If at the beginning of the address bar of the site, you see the mention “HTTPS”, it indicates that the web page is secure.

This statement means that the confidentiality of the data sent by the user is guaranteed, but this indication should not be relied upon alone. Indeed, website creation platforms automatically offer to activate the HTTPS protocol and can create a sales site and offer to buy online.

Check the spelling of the site online

To avoid being the victim of a scam on the internet, you can pay attention to the spelling of the site on which you intend to make purchases online. This is a good criterion of reliability to check the credibility of the website and its professionalism.

Use the “Whois” online site

You can use the “Whois” tool which means “who is” to detect if your site is fraudulent or not. This site is a database of website domain names. It allows you to verify the identity and host of a website as well as information about its owner.

You should always be wary when shopping online. This mode of purchase remains risky and accessible to cybercriminals. However, there are tools for not using your credit card number online during your payments, which are offered by certain banking establishments.