I can't believe people fall for these scam websites, when it is just so easy to identify the scam websites from the good ones. It is just obvious, I don't know why there are gullible people, but if you are maybe this guide can help you avoid some trouble.

Keep in mind neither points taken by themselves are a definitive indication, but if you add them all up, like if a website has like 4-5 of these points, then that is a red flag, a high suspicion alert, basically your spider-sense should be screaming to get the hell out of there.

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1) HTTP

Any website that used HTTP that is largely financial based or sells you stuff, or has a login interface is probably a scam. Of course this doesn't mean that every single HTTPS website is legit, they could just as easily be scams than this. HTTPS is crucial for security, without it, anybody can tap your internet and grab all your passwords. But this is not the reason why HTTP websites are scams, like Bitcoin doublers are usually HTTP and they don't have a login interface.

Well the reason is that you have to supply some kind of identity verification for HTTPS which scammers don't want to do most of the time. Plus it also costs more, so it either will be a longterm big scam, or they will just not risk getting HTTPS certificate.

2) Big text fonts

Nothing is more suspicious than using big text fonts in 2017. It's either some scammer that just got on the Internet and is learning HTML basics in a 3rd world country. So he uses his talent to scam people. Like Indian phone scammers, nothing against Indians, but you can't deny that they are scamming people.

So either amateur scammers from 3rd world are using outdated HTML knowledge, or amateurs coders are trying to setup a financial website, which they probably shouldn't do, since it would be horribly insecure anyway.

3) Phone Number Visible

No professional company just writes their phone number with a big font to be visible. It looks like the website is struggling to look as legitimate as possible, whereas it actually raises more suspicion to more vigilant people.

I mean nothing is more suspicious than somebody trying to not look suspicious. Nobody is writing down their phone number and exposing it in that manner.

In fact nobody in 2017 has call centers, they are usually very frowned upon, most of the time all stuff is handled in e-mail anyway. What is the point to call them? To scream at them if they scam you?

But having a phone call desk makes things more personal, where scammers can get close to people fooling them even more with their charm. Like the Boiler Rooms from the 80's stocks. It's brilliant.

4) Chatbox on the homepage

I mean when you have a popup chatbox on the home page that already asks you to contact their support as a scheme to try to personalize you, make you more comfortable, make you feel safer, is a huge red flag.

Most of the time there is nobody on the chat anyway, it's just pre-programmed responses. Who knows maybe it's an AI named Jenny with a cute stock photo woman face.

Other times they might use random photos from Google.

5) Antivirus logo on the homepage

Holy shit, what the hell does this supposed to mean? Does it means that an antivirus will defend you from scams? Can you see the pattern, basically they appeal to your emotions to your sense of comfort. Anything that is comfortable to you like an antivirus software (that defends you against evil viruses) is now used as a tool to show you that the website is also comfortable, so just go and invest your money there because it's definitely not a scam now.

Besides what the hell. What the hell does a website have to do with an antivirus? What kind of website is that that is virused anyways? Like some spam porn site. But even the fact that you have to mention the fact that you have to protect yourself against an anti-virus is already de-legitimizing the website.

I mean do you see an anti-virus logo on Facebook? I don't think so, they don't have to go out of their way to prove to their clients that the website is relatively safe. So the mere fact that these scam sites have to do that is a huge red flag.

Another variant is just these badges:

source

I mean any website that use these kinds of badges to sell stuff to people are probably scams. What the hell are these people thinking, putting all kinds of 100% verified , 100% trusted logos on their website, it just makes it all the way less trustworthy. 100% trusted by whom? Not by me!

6) Comment box disabled or in Sybil-attack Astroturf mode

Websites that either disable interactive features such as comment boxes, well there are not many who have them, but I am talking about forums or other platforms with more community feeling ; or websites that have actually their own employees leaving fake reviews are probably scams.

Sometimes they have a chatbox like via Slack or things like that, and they have there Astroturfers shilling hard to promote their scam. That is already a bad sign.

7) Fake Testimonials

Actually all websites that have too many testimonials or who use random people as "sources" are all scams. There are real testimonials but those can actually be linked to famous people by a Twitter tweet or something like that, like they have on Changelly, those are real testimonials because they link directly to a Tweet or an article. I am not talking about these.

I am talking about those that just grab a random name, and a random Facebook mugshot and write a fake testimonial there. You know that is like identity theft, using your photo without permission to represent you. But it gets worse:

• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1152263.0

This "Victor Diaz" from Brazil who wrote that enthusiastic testimonial turns out to be a convicted rapist from Mumbai in his actual prison uniform taking a mugshot for the prison. I mean it can't get more hilarious than that, at least those idiots should have searched better for a better photo on the internet for their scam testimonials.

I mean what is next, your scam website getting endorsed by Bernie Madoff? It can't get more hilarious than that.

So watch out for these scam testimonials that use convicted criminal mugshots or random photos from Facebook.

8) Too good to be true

Well last but not least, if it sounds too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. So it's a scam. I mean I am not saying high profits are not possible, I have literally done it myself, documented without a shadow of a doubt.

But that is rare, in most cases it's a scam. Especially if the business plan is not clear. I mean I make profits from altcoin trading, which is pretty straightforward. But none of these "doubler" websites can prove where their money comes from. So it's logical to assume that it's a ponzi.

Sometimes they show fake transactions from the blockchain, to make it look like they are paying out. Sometimes they actually pay out people, but most of the time they don't.

They keep their VIP member who can bring more referrals, suckers, into the machine. And they ban, silence, bully away everyone who opposes or exposes them.

If the scam is huge then it involves even politicians, I mean you want to buy legal protection from the biggest racket there is, if you want to run a scam successfully. But most of the time it lays low, only sucking in gullible people, who look for an alternative but only find the same thing:

• https://steemit.com/scam/@profitgenerator/scammers-taking-advantage-of-freedom-fighters

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I hope these methods will help you identify scam websites, not all websites are scams, but if like 5 out of 8 of these come up, then you need to be very vigilant. Sometimes it's just a coincidence, like some amateur designer did it, but then again, if it's a financial website run by an amateur, then you shouldn't be using it anyway, since it can probably be hacked easily.

Otherwise it's just a scam run by an aspiring scammer trying to swindle away some extra bucks from gullible people.

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Sources:

• https://pixabay.com
• http://ghanafbt.blogspot.com/p/internet-settings-for-all-networks-in.html

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Upvote, ReSteem &