Few Ways To Check The Legitimacy Of The Website
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.The internet is full of websites that are either fake, fraudulent or a scam. Here are a few tips to identify and at the same time, avoid fake, fraudulent and scam websites.
We have a got a few ways for you to check the legitimacy of the website, and they go by these seven steps:
Domain Name :
Most of the fake websites use a domain name that is somewhat similar to well-known brand or a product name. Although the name of the fake site will be similar to the official website name but will not be the same, so it should raise an alarming bell.
For better understanding, let us take an example:
| Few Ways To Check The Legitimacy Of The Website |
Original website Fake website
http://www.google.com www.jobgoogle.com
www.adidas.com www.discountadidas.com
Check for Suspicious Offers :
A large portion of us get pulled in towards substantial rebates and low value items yet being fearful may spare your cash. There are chances that they are con artists who are endeavoring to draw in deal hungry customers. Try not to fall into their traps.
Double Check the Site :
Don't simply go for offers, check the site before making any buy. Check the 'About us' page, 'Terms and condition' page and 'get in touch with us' page. Check whether the contact number gave is valid, in the event that no contact data is given; there are chances that the site is deceitful. Do make sure to check the substance of the site; there are chances that the site was simply transferred to profit by tricking individuals. In the event that the data, for example, work locale, contact number, E-mail address isn't given, the better avoid such sites.
Return Policy :
Every online merchant should upload their respective return policy if engaged in selling products online. It is through the return policy that the customer understands how and where they can return a faulty product. Along with return policy, the website should also have a terms & condition page as well as privacy policy page to give customers a clearer picture of how their data is being used or about contractual rights, if any.
Trust Mark
There are 60-70% online shoppers who like to shop from sites with trust-mark logo. But it is possible that the website carrying the logo of any reputed organization is fake. To check the legitimacy of the site, you can contact the trust-mark logo company. If you are in doubt, it is better to give it a second thought, rather than ending up losing money.
Most of the genuine websites use SSL certificates to provide a high-level security to its visitor. Visual assurance is what a visitor prefers and believes in, such as:
(a) Green address bar
(b) Padlock on the address bar
(c) https: // (SSL certificate https: //)
Online Reviews
There are a number of sources from where you can find customers review the site and products it sells. Few of the examples of such sources that provide aggregate customer reviews are Trust pilot and Feefo.
There are potential fake reviews, so do not simply rely on only one review website. Also, have a glance at the social media page of the company to see what are the recent posts and activities of that company.
