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# How to identify a fake website before you use it
- URL: https://chale.tech/how-to-spot-a-fake-website/
- Published: 2026-10-20T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-20T16:00:00.000Z
- Description: Fake shops, cloned bank pages and lookalike government portals. Here are eight quick checks to spot a fake website before you enter a password, card number or pay a deposit.
- Author: Isaac Nana Yaw Annor
- Tags: How-To, Security

A fake website can look exactly like a real one: same logo, same colours, same photos. The difference is who receives your money and passwords. Before you log in, pay or enter personal details, run through these checks.

## Eight checks for any website

1. **Read the address carefully.** Look for misspellings, extra words, hyphens or unusual endings (for example a bank name with “-gh-login.top”). Scammers rely on you not reading it.
2. **Do not trust the padlock alone.** The padlock only means the connection is encrypted. Scam sites have padlocks too.
3. **How did you get there?** If it was through a link in a message or a pop-up ad, be extra careful. Type the address yourself instead.
4. **Check the contact details.** A real business lists a physical address, a phone number and an email on its own domain, not just a WhatsApp number.
5. **Look for reviews elsewhere.** Search the shop’s name plus “scam” or “reviews”. No history at all is a warning.
6. **Check the domain age.** A WHOIS lookup shows when a domain was registered. A “trusted shop since 2015” with a domain registered last month is lying.
7. **Look at the payment method.** Payment only to a personal MoMo number, or by gift card or crypto, is a red flag.
8. **Prices and pressure.** Huge discounts and countdown timers push you to act before you think.

## Search results and sponsored links

Scammers buy ads and create fake business listings so they appear at the top of search results. The Cyber Security Authority has warned about brand impersonation on Google Maps and in search. For banks, networks and government services, use the address you know or the official app.

## Government and bank websites

- Ghana government websites usually end in **.gov.gh**.
- Use your bank’s official app from Google Play or the App Store rather than a website link.
- Never log in to your bank through a link in an SMS, email or WhatsApp message.

## If you already used a fake site

- **Entered a password?** Change it on the real site and turn on 2-step verification.
- **Entered card details?** Call your bank now and block the card.
- **Paid by MoMo?** Call your provider with the transaction ID straight away.

**Report cybercrime to the Cyber Security Authority:** call or text **292**, WhatsApp **0501603111**, or email **report@csa.gov.gh**. Keep screenshots, numbers, links and transaction IDs as evidence.

More: [how to spot phishing messages](https://chale.tech/how-to-spot-phishing-messages/) and [how to avoid online shopping scams](https://chale.tech/avoid-online-shopping-scams-ghana/).

*This guide was checked in October 2026\. Menus and services change, so if something looks different on your phone, check with your provider.*

## Common questions

### Does the padlock mean a website is safe?

No. The padlock only means the connection is encrypted. Scam sites can have a padlock too.

### How can I check how old a website is?

Search the domain name on a WHOIS lookup site. A shop that claims years of trading but whose domain was registered last month is a red flag.

### What do I do if I entered my card details on a fake site?

Call your bank immediately and ask them to block the card. Then report to the Cyber Security Authority.

### How do I find a company’s real website?

Type the address yourself, use the company’s official app, or check its verified social media pages. Do not rely on links in messages or sponsored search results.

## Sources

- [Cyber Security Authority: Online shopping scam advisory (CSA/CERT/MPA/2025-11/01, November 2025)](https://csa.gov.gh/cert-gh-alert41.php?ref=chale.tech)
- [NewsGhana: CSA records 113% surge in online fraud, warns Ghanaians ahead of Easter (April 2026)](https://www.newsghana.com.gh/csa-records-113-surge-in-online-fraud-warns-ghanaians-ahead-of-easter/?ref=chale.tech)
- [Google Account Help: Make your account more secure](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/46526?hl=en&ref=chale.tech)