Websites used to defraud people are not always well-designed, and a careful eye may spot this. However, some scammers are good at what they do and their websites may look very professional. This is why you should never solely rely on your gut feeling or common sense when trying to determine whether a website is legitimate or not – always use multiple methods to verify.

Adding to our original and very popular article 11 Ways to Check if a Website is Legit or Trying to Scam You, here are eight (8) more ways to check if a website is legit.

1 | Check the Quality of the Site Source and Content

Is the website being sent from an unknown or suspicious source? An email with spelling mistakes or a strange call to action may be cause for concern, so it’s probably best not to click on the URL address. Suspicious calls to actions might be requests to wire money, purchase computer antivirus software, or pay a shipping charge for a supposed expected delivery. These fraudulent websites are used to trick you into giving away your credit card and other personal information so that scammers may get access to your account.

2 | Verify Contact Information

When you visit a website, take a look around for contact information. If there is no easily accessible contact information – such as an email address or telephone number – that is another warning sign that the website might not be legitimate. Search for the location on Google Maps to see if it is a real address, and try to call the number to see if anyone answers. If you still can’t find any contact information, that’s a bad sign.

3 | Browse the Site

When browsing a website, be on the lookout for any red flags that may indicate it is not legitimate. These can include misspellings and grammatical errors, broken links, images that don’t load,  pages that take a long time to load, or many pages under construction. If you see any of these red flags, it’s best to err on the side of caution and not provide any personal information or make any purchases from the website.

4 | Click the Padlock in the Address Bar

When you visit a website, take a look at the address bar. If you see a padlock icon next to the website’s URL, that means the site is using SSL (secure socket layer) encryption. This is an industry standard security measure that is used to protect sensitive information – such as credit card numbers – from being intercepted by third parties. Clicking on the padlock will provide more information about the SSL certificate, including who issued it and when it expires. If you don’t see a padlock icon or any information about an SSL certificate, that’s a warning sign that the website might not be legitimate.

5 | Check the Domain to Verify Country Source

The domain of a website can sometimes give you clues about where it is based. For example, websites that end in .uk are from the United Kingdom, while websites that end in .au are from Australia. If the website you’re visiting doesn’t have a country-specific domain, that’s not necessarily cause for concern. However, if the website is claiming to be from a specific country but the domain doesn’t match, that’s a red flag. You can verify what country a domain is registered in by doing a WHOIS lookup.

6 | Review Payment Options

When you’re ready to make a purchase from a website, take a look at the payment options that are available. If the only option is to pay by wire transfer or Western Union, that’s a warning sign that the website might not be legitimate. These payment methods are often used by scammers because they are difficult to trace and there is no way to get your money back if you are scammed. It’s best to stick with websites that offer more secure payment methods, such as credit cards or PayPal.

7 | Read Online Reviews

If you’re thinking about making a purchase from a website, do some research to see if there are any reviews or testimonials from previous customers. A quick Google search should do the trick. Be wary of websites that only have positive reviews, as these may be fake. Also, take negative reviews with a grain of salt – some people may simply be unhappy with the product or service for personal reasons.

8 | Take a Look at the Photos

Do the photos have watermarks?  Are they low-quality or blurry? Are they all of the same product? If so, that’s a warning sign that the website might not be legitimate. Scammers usually use watermarked or low-quality photos because they haven’t paid for the rights to the photos or are trying to build a fast website and are just using photos they find on the internet. And if all the photos are of the same product, it’s possible that the website is selling fake or counterfeit items.

There When You Need Us

We take your security seriously and work continuously to ensure your safety online when banking with us. Stay up to date on the latest cyber threats by visiting our Cybersecurity Awareness page, which has a complete list of prevalent scams and how to avoid them.