How to Spot a Fake Website in 30 Seconds

Scammers don’t have to be geniuses, they just need you to be busy, distracted, or too trusting for a few seconds. Fake websites have been around since the dawn of the internet, but they’ve gotten slicker, smarter, and harder to notice. The good news? You can still spot most of them in half a minute if you know what to look for.

Step 1: Start With the URL

The web address is your first line of defence. It’s also the first place scammers get sloppy. Before you click anything, take a second to actually read the URL. Real companies use clean, recognisable domain names. If you see a subtle misspelling, like “gooogle.com” or “faceb00k.net”, that’s a clear giveaway.

Also pay attention to the domain ending. Big, established brands rarely use oddball extensions like “.xyz” or “.info” unless it’s part of their official branding. And here’s a myth that needs to die: that little padlock icon and “https://” prefix don’t automatically mean a site is safe. All it means is the connection is encrypted, scammers can get SSL certificates too.

That’s your first 5 seconds well spent.

Step 2: Look at the Design

Once the page loads, let your eyes do the work. If the design feels cheap, lazy, or inconsistent, that’s a red flag. Blurry logos, mismatched fonts, broken links, and random formatting all scream “unprofessional.”

Fraudulent sites are often rushed. They’ll use generic stock images or AI-generated faces that feel slightly “off.” If it looks like someone built it in a hurry, they probably did. A legitimate company’s website usually feels polished, balanced, and functional.

Trust that instinct. If it feels wrong, it probably is.

Step 3: Test Their Contact Info

A real business wants to be found. A fake one hides in the shadows. Scroll to the bottom or check the “Contact” page, you should see a real address, a phone number, or at least a legitimate email tied to the company’s domain. If all you find is a contact form or a vague promise that “someone will get back to you,” that’s weak.

When in doubt, copy and paste the listed phone number or address into Google. If nothing comes up, or the results look unrelated, you’ve probably caught them red-handed.

At this point, you’re 20 seconds in and already way ahead of most people.

Step 4: Hover Before You Click

Hover your mouse over any link on the page, don’t click, just hover. Look at the bottom-left corner of your browser. It’ll show you the real destination of that link. If it says “paypal.com” on the screen but your browser shows “paypa1-secure.ru” or anything sketchy, that’s game over.

This one trick exposes a ton of fake sites instantly. It’s fast, simple, and brutally effective.

Step 5: Trust Your Gut, Then Verify

Finally, listen to that internal alarm bell. Scammers love urgency, phrases like “act now,” “verify immediately,” or “limited-time offer” are meant to short-circuit your logic. When a website pressures you to do something fast, slow down instead.

If you’re not sure, open a new browser tab and type the official website address manually. Never follow links from random emails or texts, that’s exactly how most people get phished.

That’s your full 30 seconds.

The Bottom Line

Spotting a fake website isn’t about paranoia; it’s about awareness. The web rewards people who double-check and punishes those who rush. Look at the URL, trust your eyes, verify contact info, hover before clicking, and always pause when something feels off.

You don’t need a cybersecurity degree to stay safe, just a habit of slowing down and noticing what doesn’t look right.