How To Identify Scam Websites

Many people have become victims of online fraud due to lack of diligence of exercising prudent steps on learning how to identify scam websites. There are many ways that one can avoid being susceptible to online scams and fraud. 

1. Phising emails that attempt to steal your identity. You may receive emails that may appear to be coming from people you know, companies you often make transactions online or social networking sites. They will request you to provide your personal information such as account number, passwords and other personal data. You can instantly recognize whether this is a phising scam website when you are asked to verify your account or you have won from a lottery which you didn't even joined. Some emails will even ask you to verify your credit account information. It is most prudent to double check the sources of these emails.
2. Identify spoofed sites. These are phising emails that provide a link to take you to your "account." The link is a masked website that may provide a seemingly legitimate website address but when you rest the mouse's pointer over the website link, it will unmask the real address of the site with different and suspicious strings of cryptic numbers.
3. Companies using a free email account. Scam websites usually provide a return email address using free email accounts such as Yahoo, Google and Hotmail. Note that most legitimate companies doing businesses online can afford to buy their own domain for their company account.
4. Be wary about offers that are too good to be true. You may come across scam websites that offer too good to be true offers that usually exaggerate the benefits you can receive, but with information, the costs and your obligations and fall short of explaining specific details on how their promotional sales work. Some will ask for a processing fee or advance payment and may require you to provide valuable personal information.