Seven Tips For Finding Out A Fake Website And Avoiding Online Scams | Security

It is important to know if a site is true when the user intends to buy a product, conduct financial transactions or enter personal data. Fake websites are generally used to scam and steal bank details, passwords or just facilitate computer hacking for later attacks. An example of this type of attack, called phishing, are links sent in chains from WhatsApp with fraudulent promos using the name of the O Boticrio or Cocoa Show stores, among many others.

Fortunately, there are a few tricks to making sure that the actual desired page is not fake. Here's tips on what to do if a cloned or risky site is suspected.

READ: Instagram 'fake' can steal your data; take cover

WhatsApp scam uses fake website with store name O Boticrio Photo: Tainah Tavares / dnetcWhatsApp scam uses fake website with store name O Boticrio Photo: Tainah Tavares / dnetc

WhatsApp scam uses fake website with store name O Boticrio Photo: Tainah Tavares / dnetc

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If you received a link per message and have a doubt about the identity of the site, watch out for the domain. This is the core of the address from which all others are derived from the same site. The dnetc domain, for example, dnetc.br: If this address is at the beginning of the link, however large, the URL is likely to be authentic.

However, if the address contains something like techtud0.br, with a zero instead of the last one, be careful in some cases, a dash ("-") in place of a dot (".") Enough to mislead you. . The homographic scam is to register domains that seek to mimic the appearance of famous sites. Keep an eye out for suspicious URLs like amaz0n, go0gle. The tip also goes for less popular domains: addresses ending with .br .edu and .org are usually more credible than .biz and .net.

Check Address Photo: Reproduction / Paulo AlvesCheck Address Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves

Check Address Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves

WHOIS records domains, IPs, and information about a website owner. Although not always transparent, as it is possible to pay not to make certain public information, the feature allows you to discover CPF, CNPJ, name, address and other data of who paid to use the address.

This way, you can unmask a fake site if the data shown there is conflicting. You can check a website registered in Brazil at https://registro.br/2/whois.

If the debt persists, another simple tip is to do a Google search. Enter the name of the store or institution you want to find to get the right link in the first few results. As Google feeds ranking with reputation variables, fake sites have a hard time appearing at the top of the search.

For stores and other businesses, Google often displays key data on a one-button phone, address and website info card to guarantee a site visit page.

Google shows real sites at the top Photo: Reproduo / Paulo AlvesGoogle shows real sites at the top Photo: Reproduo / Paulo Alves

Google shows real sites at the top Photo: Reproduo / Paulo Alves

4. Search the site for Google status

In addition to showing real sites first, Google offers a tool that helps analyze the transparency level of a given link. Go to the browser tool (transparencyreport.google/safe-browsing) and enter the address to check in the main field to see if there are any dangerous elements on the page.

Google tool shows if site can be dangerous Photo: Reproduo / Paulo AlvesGoogle tool shows if site can be dangerous Photo: Reproduo / Paulo Alves

Google tool shows if site can be dangerous Photo: Reproduo / Paulo Alves

5. Escape from Invasive Advertisements

Even if the site you visit is true, it is important to pay attention to the behavior of the pages. If your connection is compromised something that can happen when using public Wi-Fi suitable sites can show hacked content to try to trick victims. In such cases, the user does not see pages as they exist, but versions modified by criminals.

Always be wary if there is much more than usual, often intrusive advertising: pop-ups and banners offering too-cheap products, with pornography on non-gender sites, or exaggerated virus infection alerts. If this occurs, close the browser and break the connection even if the site is correct.

6. Verify that the secure connection

Sites dealing with login, password, payment information and other personal information must have secure connection to the HTTPS protocol. Unless you are visiting a blog or other site that does not require your personal data even though it is not recommended, all other sites should use technology to provide an encrypted communication channel between your computer and the server on which the page is located. hosted.

To make sure that access is secured, look for https at the beginning of the address, or check if the browser shows any callsigns in the address bar: Secure, Verified, Protected, or the name of the security certificate in green.

HTTPS is the security protocol required for web pages Photo: Divulgao / GoogleHTTPS is the security protocol required for web pages Photo: Divulgao / Google

HTTPS is the security protocol required for web pages Photo: Divulgao / Google

7. Search for security stamps

In addition to the HTTPS seal, websites dealing with bank information often carry respected encryption certificates in the body of the pages. McAfee, GeoTrust, Google Trusted Store, PayPal, Truste, and Norton are some of the known certificates that may come up.

To find out if they are true, click on the images and see if the site shows the details of the security service offered by the certifier. On fake pages, these stamps are not clickable.

How to know if reliable shopping site? Give your opinion on the dnetc Forum.

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