The Internet has become a must-have resource for shopping, banking, researching, and communication in the Age of Information. This ease of use can also be dangerous, as it leads to fake sites that will take your information, implant a virus on your phone or computer, or even one that will prompt you to make a purchase. It requires taking responsibility and being aware of how to pick out scam sites before you click them on and get swindled. These tools allow you to check the reliability of a particular website and prevent you from becoming a victim of online fraud. Here are the scam website checkers you need to keep safe while surfing online.
What is a Scam Website Checker?
A scam website checker is an online tool used to scan websites and evaluate their reliability. These include parameters regarding the domain age, contents of a website, SSL certification, online reviews, etc. It checks for these factors to identify whether or not a site is potentially dangerous. Scam website checkers offer a sophisticated algorithm to scan the reputation of a site and can warn of potential scams, phishing or malware-ridden sites.
1. Google Safe Browsing
Google Safe Browsing is one of the most trusted and widely used tools for detecting unsafe websites. It offers a simple way to check if a website is safe by providing alerts for phishing, malware, and harmful websites. Google’s database is regularly updated to reflect the latest threats, ensuring that users are well-protected. If you’re unsure about a website’s safety, you can simply search for the site’s URL in Google Safe Browsing to see if it has been flagged as dangerous.
2. VirusTotal
VirusTotal is a powerful and easy-to-use scam website checker. It’s primarily known for scanning files and URLs for malware, but it also checks whether a website is linked to suspicious or fraudulent activities. VirusTotal aggregates results from multiple antivirus engines, making it a reliable tool for identifying scam websites. To use it, simply enter the website’s URL into the search bar, and VirusTotal will provide a comprehensive report detailing its safety status.
3. ScamAdvisor
ScamAdvisor is a popular online scam website checker that provides a detailed analysis of websites. It examines various factors such as the website’s trust score, user reviews, website ownership, and even the location of the server. ScamAdvisor also checks if the website uses SSL encryption, which is crucial for secure online transactions. If a website has a low trust score or exhibits red flags, ScamAdvisor will notify you, helping you avoid potential scams.
4. PhishTank
PhishTank is a community-driven website that allows users to report and review phishing websites. It provides a real-time database of websites that are known to be phishing sites. By checking a website through PhishTank, you can quickly determine if it is trying to trick you into revealing personal or financial information. PhishTank’s user-contributed database is regularly updated, so it’s an excellent tool for staying informed about the latest phishing threats.
5. Web of Trust (WOT)
Web of Trust (WOT) is a highly recommended scam website checker that uses a combination of user ratings and a website’s reputation to assess its safety. WOT provides a color-coded score—green for safe, yellow for caution, and red for dangerous—based on its assessment of the site’s trustworthiness. The WOT extension is available for popular browsers like Chrome and Firefox, making it easy to check websites on the go. With millions of websites rated, WOT is a reliable resource to help you navigate the internet safely.
6. Norton Safe Web
As Norton is one the first names in online security, their tool Norton Safe Web is fairly trustworthy. It scans the websites you visit for malware, phishing, and other web-based attacks that may compromise your privacy and security. Norton Safe Web analyzes site reputation based on multiple elements, including its security capabilities and user input. You can visit it here directly from Norton or via the browser extension to check sites as you surf.
7. URLVoid
URLVoidAnother great scam site checker, URLVoid analyzes the reputation of a website by checking multiple domain databases and blacklists. It looks at things like whether the site has an SSL, how old the domain is, and external links to malicious sites. It also provides comprehensive reports enabling you to judge if a website belongs to any known scam network. Its interface is simple and anyone looking to check if a website is safe can use it.
How to Protect Yourself from Scam Websites
As useful as scam website checkers are in steering you away from fraud, they should always be complemented with additional safety measures. Be sure the website has HTTPS for secure transactions, It is better to find signs of legitimacy by finding contact information and customer reviews, Do not click on suspicious links. Trust your instincts, and if something looks or sounds too good to be true it could well be a scam, so take care before giving out personal information.
Conclusion
While there are plenty of great opportunities on the Internet, unfortunately, there is also no shortage of scam websites that could jeopardize your safety. With a reliable scam website checker, you can reduce the risk of trouble when surfing online. But there are tools, such as Google Safe Browsing, VirusTotal, ScamAdvisor, and others that will help you get an insight into whether a website is safe to visit or not — so that you do not become a victim of cybercrime. Keep in mind that he who still follows up the code is better at battling online fraud.
