Barclays produced a survey in 2024. It reported that out of all scams, a huge 49 percent were scams originating online or on social media. What does this show? For one, online scams are prevalent, on the rise, and becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially with the emergence of AI.
Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to spot suspicious websites and protect your personal information. Let’s go through them below.
A quick checklist for spotting a scam website
Before we dive into things in more detail, here’s a quick checklist for the most common warning signs:
- There isn’t an HTTPS on the web address: This means the website doesn’t use a secure connection. Check to see if there’s https:// and a padlock icon in the address bar.
- Poor design or grammatical mistakes: Poor-quality graphs, photographs, or spelling errors can be signs of a fraudulent website.
- Strange URLS: Web addresses that are misspelled, unusually long, or use strange domain endings.
- No contact details or business address: Legitimate businesses typically provide these.
- Offers that seem too good to be true: Be wary of offers that promise incredible returns on investments or extremely low prices on high-value items.
- Fake reviews or testimonials: Be suspicious of overly positive, repetitive or vague reviews.
- Missing privacy or refund policies: Reputable sites will outline how their refunds work and how your data is stored.
Inspect the website closely
Look at the address closely. Make sure you see a ‘closed padlock’ and/or an HTTPS at the start of the address. While this by no means guarantees the website is scam-free, it does mean the connection to the site is secure, so any information you enter will be encrypted.
Also, watch out for subtle changes to the domain name. Scam websites often include slight misspellings, extra characters, unusual placements of dashes, and unfamiliar domain endings or character substitutions. For example, replacing letters with numbers, such as “g00gle.com” instead of “google.com”).
Pay attention to the website’s design and content quality
Scam websites are often created in a hurry, resulting in pages with little attention to detail and a catalogue of mistakes. Look out for grammar errors, low-quality images, broken links, incomplete pages, or missing or dubious contact information.
But please bear in mind that artificial intelligence (AI) can help criminals create content for their website. So, just because a website appears professional, it doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t a scam website.
Check the contact and company information
Legitimate businesses provide clear company and contact details. Examples include mentions of real addresses, working phone numbers, and accessible customer service details. To check whether a company is using genuine contact information, you can do a reverse search of the address or phone number.
Use scam-checking tools and resources
With con artists now using AI to create convincing sites, it’s becoming increasingly tricky to spot a scam website. While not completely foolproof, there is a range of trusted online tools that can help verify a site’s safety and legitimacy:
- Google Safe Browsing – check if a website has been flagged for phishing or malware
- Norton Safe Web – provides safety ratings and user reviews for websites
- Action Fraud – UK’s national reporting centre for scams, where you report suspicious websites and access official advice
Check the fine print
Genuine companies that sell products online should have their shipping and return policies listed on their site. They should also make it clear where and how you can return a faulty item.
Check the terms and conditions and the privacy policy, too. Both should be listed on the site, explaining how your personal data will be used and what extra contractual rights you may have. Can’t see any of the above? Treat it as a major red flag and walk away.
Think you’ve handed over personal details to a scam website?
If you believe you’re the victim of an internet and online scam, or any other type of fraud, we’re here to help. As an SRA-regulated firm, our experienced solicitors have specialist expertise in recovering significant sums of money lost to fraud. It’s why we’ve recovered over £50,000,000 for our clients and are rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot.
Speak to one of our supportive specialists today and see how we can help. You can also read one of the other guides on how to spot online scams for more information.