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Fake Website Alert: How to distinguish between genuine and fake websites—or risk having your bank account emptied in minutes.

Indiaemploymentnews | July 5, 2026 7:39 PM CST

Tips to Spot Fake Websites: Nowadays, almost everything is done online—from shopping and handling banking tasks to accessing government services. Consequently, internet usage has surged. With this rise in digital activity, cyber fraudsters are devising new methods to entrap people and scam them.

Fraudsters often create fake websites that mimic genuine ones to steal banking details, passwords, and personal data. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly verify a website's authenticity before entering your information. Recently, PIB Fact Check shared a post on X outlining simple ways to identify fake websites and protect yourself from online fraud.

How to identify a fake website?

First, carefully examine the website's URL.
Secure websites typically begin with "https://".
Check for any spelling errors in the website's name.
Cyber fraudsters often deceive people by creating websites with names that closely resemble legitimate ones.

Never ignore these signs:

Look for the padlock icon in the website's address bar.
The website address should start with "https://".
Frequent pop-up ads or pressure to click on links can be signs of a fake website.
Check the website's "Contact Us" and "About Us" pages.
Verify the phone number, email, and address; be alert if anything seems amiss.
Offers promising free gifts, government jobs with a single click, or expensive items at extremely low prices are often part of cyber scams.
Share banking details, OTPs, or passwords only after you are confident the website is genuine.