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With the number of spammy sites increasing, it is mandatory to check whether the website is safe before you visit a new website to stay safe online. When you click on a dangerous link and visit a spammy website, you might unknowingly install malware or your data could be stolen.
This article includes certain tips to check whether a URL is trustworthy and to help you identify dangerous links.

Dangerous or malicious URLs are links that can take you to spammy websites. By visiting such websites, you could most likely become a victim of information theft or you could download malicious content without your knowledge. The following are a few common risks involved with malicious links.

  • When you click on a spammy link, it could automatically capture personal data. Most of those links appear to be safe and look like reputed ecommerce websites. But it is will not lead to the ecommerce website but to a malicious website. Scammers might use the name of the ecommerce website to just trick users and have them provide their personal information and banking details.
  • Fraudsters use malicious URLs to spread malware and immediately after you click on one such malicious link, your device will be infected. Even if you do not click on any page on the spammy website, just by clicking the URL, you could infect your device. Moreover, you can unknowingly download adware or spyware if you click on links in the malicious website.

Types of Malicious URLs

  • Shortened links – Shortened URLs hide the real identity of a website and using these short URLs, cyber criminals distribute malicious links. They use shortened URLs to trick victims into downloading malware or visiting malicious sites.
  • Image hyperlinks – When you click on an image, you might assume that it will open the image in its original size, but images can also be hyperlinked. When you click on one such image, you could be taken to a malicious website.
  • Text hyperlinks – Attackers can include links to dangerous websites in their spam anchor texts. You could end up landing on a spammy website if you fail to inspect the link before clicking on it.
  • Buttons as links – Used commonly in emails, embedded buttons could appear like they will take you to the official website, but in reality, they could lead you to a malicious website.

Tips to Check Link Safety

It is pretty simple to check whether a URL is safe or not and you do not need technical skills to make sure whether a URL is trustworthy. Keep the following tips in mind before you click on a URL.

  • Do not click on any suspicious-looking links. This includes images, links, and random buttons.
  • If the URL starts with HTTP and not HTTPS, do not click on it. URLs that do not start with HTTPS are websites that are not secured with an SSL certificate and such websites are not safe.
  • Check for odd characters in links. If you come across a link with odd characters, do not click on it, as it could possibly be a link to a fake website.
  • Hover over the link or text to see the real link. If it is an embedded link, you can see the actual link by hovering over the text without clicking on it.
  • You can go for a tool to check whether the URL is legitimate. VPN services like NordVPN, Atlas VPN, etc., come with features like Threat Protection, SafeBrowse, etc., that block ads and malicious websites.

What If You Clicked on a Dangerous Link

If you happen to accidentally click on a malicious link, you could end up downloading malware or scammers can get their hands on your personal information. If you click on a suspicious link and believe you might have revealed your personal information to cybercriminals, change your login credentials as soon as possible. You can also run a scan to check whether you have accidentally downloaded malicious software. If you think your banking details have been revealed to scammers, you can immediately contact your bank and have them help you.

The Final Word

As dangerous URLs are everywhere, it is important to be aware of such malicious URLs. If you receive an unfamiliar URL in an email or a text message, check the legitimacy of the URL before you click on it. If you do not recognize the sender of the message or the email, we recommend deleting the message and not clicking on the URL.

Alternatively, you can use a VPN service like NordVPN, Surfshark VPN, or Atlas VPN, that come with features that will automatically block dangerous websites.