This article teaches you to evaluate the credibility of a website before using it. In addition to following the general rules for online safety, you can also use Google's Transparency Report tool or the Better Business Bureau website (in English) to check the legitimacy of the online page.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: General Tips
Step 1. Type the website name in the search bar and see the results
If it's a dangerous (or clearly inauthentic) page, a quick Google search should be enough to inform you of the situation.
- Google tends to offer user reviews of high traffic sites at the top of the list, so remember to read them if they are present.
- Be sure to read reviews and feedback from sources that are not linked or affiliated with the webpage in question.
Step 2. Look at the connection type of the site
Those with the "https" protocol are generally more secure, and therefore more reliable, than those using the more common "http" version. The reason is that the "https" security certificate requires a process that most illegitimate web pages don't want to go through.
- However, a site that uses the "https" protocol can still be unreliable, so it is better to verify it by other means as well.
- In any case, make sure that the pages through which you make payments are "https".
Step 3. Check the security status of the site through the browser address bar
Most online browsers identify safe sites with a green lock icon to the left of the URL.
You can click on the lock to check the details of the page (for example the type of encryption used)
Step 4. Evaluate the page URL
It consists of the connection type ("http" and "https"), the domain name (for example "wikihow") and the extension (".com", ".net" and so on). Even if you've verified that the connection is secure, pay attention to the following warning signs:
- Numerous dashes or symbols in the domain name;
- Domain names that mimic those of real companies (for example "Amaz0n" or "NikeOutlet");
- Sites built from scratch that use credible page templates (such as "visihow");
- Domain extensions such as ".biz" and ".info"; the online pages that use them are generally not credible;
- Also remember that the ".com" and ".net" extensions, although they do not indicate a dangerous site in themselves, are the easiest to obtain. For this reason, they do not have the same credibility as ".edu" (educational institution) or ".gov" (government page).
Step 5. Pay attention to texts written in bad Italian
If you notice a lot of spelling errors, grammar errors, missing words or an unnatural construction of sentences, you should ask yourself about the authenticity of the site.
While the page in question is technically legitimate as it is not a scam, any language inaccuracy should cast doubt on the authenticity of the information, making the site a likely untrustworthy source
Step 6. Look for intrusive advertisements
If you have selected a site with a huge amount of advertisements haunting the screen or with audio files that activate automatically, it is likely that the page is not secure or authentic; Also, consider consulting another source online if you encounter these kinds of ads:
- Advertising that takes up the whole screen;
- Ads that require you to answer a questionnaire (or perform other actions) to continue browsing;
- Banners that point to another page;
- Explicit or suggestive advertisements.
Step 7. Use the "Contact Us" page
Most internet sites provide a section to allow users to send questions, comments or concerns to the owner. If you can, call or email the address provided to verify the legitimacy of the website.
- Remember to scroll all the way down to find the "contacts" section.
- If the site does not have this section, be aware that it is a warning sign.
Step 8. Use "WhoIs", a domain verification service to figure out who a website is owned by
Any domain must show the data of the person or company that registered it. You can get this information through the "WhoIs" provided by most domain registries or some web pages. Some details to watch out for:
- Registration of an anonymous domain. It is possible to register a domain anonymously, so that the owner's data remains private. If a domain uses anonymous registration, it can be suspicious.
- The owner's data looks suspicious. For example, if the name of the account holder is "John Smith", but the corresponding e-mail address is "[email protected]", then the domain registrant probably wants to hide their identity.
- A recent domain registration or transfer. This could indicate that the site is not very reliable.
Method 2 of 3: Using Google's Transparency Report
Step 1. Open the Google Transparency Report page
You can quickly analyze the address of a site through this service and view the security "rating" assigned by Google.
Step 2. Click in the "Search by URL" field
It is located in the central part of the page.
Step 3. Type the address of the online site you want to analyze
This means reporting the domain name (eg "wikihow") and the extension (eg ".com").
For best results, copy the URL and paste it into this field
Step 4. Click on the blue magnifying glass button
Step 5. Read the results
The system may provide various responses ranging from "No data available" to "No unsafe content found", "Partially dangerous" and so on.
- For example, sites like WikiHow and YouTube get a "No unsafe content found" rating from Google, while others like Reddit are rated more complexly and the system says the page may be "Partly Dangerous" due to "misleading content" (eg opaque advertising).
- Google's Transparency Report also provides examples of why these ratings are assigned, so you can decide for yourself whether or not those reviews may concern you.
Method 3 of 3: Using the Better Business Bureau
Step 1. Open the Better Business Bureau page
This is an American site that provides a tool to verify the legitimacy of web pages; allows you to analyze online pages of companies located in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Know that it is especially developed to verify the connection between companies and a specific web page; if you just want to check the security of a site, use Google's Transparency Report
Step 2. Click on the Find a Business section
Step 3. Click on the "Find a" text field
Step 4. Type the site URL
For best results, copy and paste it into the search field.
Step 5. Click in the "Near" field
Step 6. Enter the location
Although it is not a mandatory step, this will narrow down the search field.
If you don't know the area where the business is located, skip this step
Step 7. Click Search
Step 8. Read the results
You can check the credibility of a website by comparing its contents with the results of the Better Business Bureau.
- For example, if the online page claims to sell shoes, but your search found that the link is associated with an ad service, there is a good chance it is a scam.
- If the Better Business Bureau results conform to the theme of the webpage, it is likely a trustworthy site.
