Out of the top five types of identity theft, there were nearly 550,000 reported cases of identity theft in 2019.

Whether a fraudulent website takes your personal and financial information or simply has you sending money for a counterfeit product, these types of concerns are increasingly relevant.

How do you know a safe website from an unsafe website?

Let’s take a look at seven times that you’re on a safe website for shopping.

1. A Safe Website Includes the Right Kind of Contact Information

If you are wondering how to spot a safe website, one of the first things you can do is take a look at the contact information. An authentic online shop is much more likely than an illicit site to list the physical address of the company, their company’s specific email address, and a US phone number.

On sites that are unsafe, you might find that instead of a physical address, they have a contact us page no direct email address. These forms are typically just places for you to give them your email address and a brief message. They are also more likely to list a PO Box rather than a physical street address.

Website security goes hand-in-hand with having a password. Pass it can be tricky because it is easy to forget them. Check out this helpful article on creating a password.

2. The Seller Is Clearly Identified

When it comes to website safety, you want to make sure that the seller behind the product is clearly identified. Authentic e-commerce sites will always display this information. Think of the most popular e-commerce sites like Walmart and Amazon. It is always clear about the seller of the product is with company information easily accessible.

If you are on an e-commerce site that doesn’t clearly identify itself as a third party seller of another company’s product, it can be a red flag. Important that you shop from an authentic e-commerce site or directly from the brand itself. Buying from the brand or company is the best way to be sure you’re not getting a counterfeit.

3. The Location of the Company Is Clearly Stated

Once you get the hang of learning how to spot a secure website, that much quicker at recognizing authenticity or a lack of authenticity.

One of the things that you want to look at is the phone number. If you notice that there is a US PO Box or into the call address combined with an international phone number, you might not be on any authentic site. If information about where the company is located is buried in the copyright information or there is only other phone number, this is a red flag.

Of course, some companies will have international addresses and phone numbers. However, it’s just important to look closely at this information because sometimes it site will advertise itself as being from one country but actually will be from another.

One thing to understand is that most other counterfeiting occurs in countries other than the United States with products that are intended to be sold to American consumers. Nearly 90% of counterfeit products that have been seized by the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Trade have come from Hong Kong and China.

4. Unsafe Websites Can Look a Lot Like the Real Deal

Several years ago, the content of a website could be a good indication of whether or not it was authentic. However, since technology has advanced and the website building and hosting services are more widely available, it’s easier and easier for anyone to design a website that looks professional.

More and more, illicit sites have been essentially stealing content from the actual brand website in order to make their site look more legitimate. This can lead consumers to believe that they are buying an authentic product and the actual brand.

When you’re buying a specific product, good to know the signifiers of authenticity. This includes any unique details or brand markings.

5. Look For Signs of Website Safety and Security

When you look at the website address bar, for authentic and secure site you will notice a padlock symbol next to the URL. What this padlock signifies is that any transactions that occur between your device and the site are encrypted and secure.

You also want to look for trust fields that are often placed on check out pages, homepages, and login pages.

You also want to keep an eye out for privacy policies or security policies. If these pages are prominently displayed, it is more likely that the site is authentic.

6. Look For Social Media Links

On nearly all authentic websites, you will see buttons that link to the brand social media pages either at the top or the bottom. However, counterfeit e-commerce sites are much less likely to link to social media accounts.

You’ll want to take note of how you found the page. If you found the page through a social media post and the site doesn’t have links back to social media, this can be a red flag that it might be an illicit site and not the real thing.

7. They Have Secure Payment Options

Whenever you are buying something online, you are passing a financial and personal information to another party. It is therefore very important that this information is kept safe. On any site that is authentic there will typically be a number of different ways that you can pay.

If the site is in giving you payment options and is asking you to send money through wire, to a PayPal address, with crypto currency, or to pay in iTunes gift cards, this is a sign that the site is illicit.

How to Find Good Shopping Websites: These Tips Will Help You Weed Out the Frauds

Did you find this article on the signs of a safe website interesting? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more fascinating and informative content!