How can I differentiate a legit site from a scam site?

[Kennysplash]

This is a question many people ask. The internet is full of websites that are either fake, fraudulent or a scam. It’s a sad fact of life. You see, the evolution of the internet has brought with it a number of extremely convenient advances in the way we shop, bank, and interact with the world around us. At the same time, that evolution has also given way to new risks—new avenues for criminals to rip off the unsuspecting. Here are some tips I think can be helpful.

Step #1: Pay attention to the address bar​

The first thing you want to look for on a website is the https:// at the beginning of the address. The S in https:// stands for secure and indicates that the website uses encryption to transfer data, protecting it from hackers.

Step #2: Look up the domain age​

Scammers know that more people will be shopping online during the holidays than usual, so they put together real-looking websites very quickly around those times. By checking the domain age, you can see how long the website has been in business, giving you a better sense of its veracity.

Step #3: Watch for poor grammar and spelling​

An excess of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar mistakes could indicate that a website went up quickly. Companies with legitimate websites may certainly have the occasional typo but still put effort into presenting a professional website. If a website capitalizes every other word or has a lot of odd phrasing and punctuation, take a closer look.

What other tips do you recommend?

 

[Vinkce]

This is a question many people ask. The internet is full of websites that are either fake, fraudulent or a scam. It’s a sad fact of life. You see, the evolution of the internet has brought with it a number of extremely convenient advances in the way we shop, bank, and interact with the world around us. At the same time, that evolution has also given way to new risks—new avenues for criminals to rip off the unsuspecting. Here are some tips I think can be helpful.

Step #1: Pay attention to the address bar​

The first thing you want to look for on a website is the https:// at the beginning of the address. The S in https:// stands for secure and indicates that the website uses encryption to transfer data, protecting it from hackers.

Step #2: Look up the domain age​

Scammers know that more people will be shopping online during the holidays than usual, so they put together real-looking websites very quickly around those times. By checking the domain age, you can see how long the website has been in business, giving you a better sense of its veracity.

Step #3: Watch for poor grammar and spelling​

An excess of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar mistakes could indicate that a website went up quickly. Companies with legitimate websites may certainly have the occasional typo but still put effort into presenting a professional website. If a website capitalizes every other word or has a lot of odd phrasing and punctuation, take a closer look.

What other tips do you recommend?

Really informing. The points listed here make sense. Most scammers would not take much time and money to create their Ponzi schemes because they would not want to spend too much for something that isn't real.