HOW TO IDENTIFY FAKE WEBSITES AND SCAMS.

The Internet can be a great way to find products and services that may not be readily available in your local area, however it is important for you to be able to tell by navigating around on a website whether or not it is legitimate. Sometimes there are individuals or businesses who set up websites specifically to collect your personal, private information or to trick you into purchasing nonexistent products or services. Continue reading to learn about the signs and ways to determine if a specific website is real and legitimate.

1. Look at the Google SafeBrowse report. Simply type in “http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=” before the site address in the address bar; Google will give out a report about this specific site

2. 

Verify that the website's checkout or payment page is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) secured to protect your credit card number and other personal information you enter.

SSL secured pages will begin with "[https" https"] instead of "[http" http"] at the beginning of the web address.



3. Look at the website address in the address bar of your Internet browser to verify that the website or links you have clicked on did not redirect you elsewhere.

4. Look at content and photos on the website to make sure they are original and related to the company's products and services. Legitimate websites will usually publish detailed content or information about their business and products and will not copy and paste content from other websites.