We Attach here How to check internet links before clicking on URLs, and how to check suspicious links on SOCIAL MEDIA and the internet.
It is recommended that you carefully check the reliability of any Internet link (URL) that you have the slightest doubt about before clicking on it. There are many tools to help you, starting with your web browser.It could be a phishing attempt, a scam, or also a secretly installed virus or malware to steal your data or mine cryptocurrency without your knowledge.
How to check a link using a web browser?
In emails you receive or on pages you visit. It can take the form of a button or clickable text (like click here for example), or be fully referenced (https://www.xxxxx.c).
Whatever their style, your browser can help you see more clearly.
► Select a location on the webpage Hover over it without clicking.
►in a computer browser, At the bottom left of the browser, a small area is displayed showing the entire Internet address to which the link is pointing. Watch her carefully. If it has nothing to do with the site you thought you were looking for, go ahead and don't click on the link.
Sometimes the internet links on the pages point to a short web address like bit.ly/xxxx, ow.ly/xxxx, tinyurl/xxxx, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to know at first glance which site corresponds to the link using the above method. Fortunately, there are services to reveal the real address.
► Right click on the link you want to check. From the menu that appears, choose Copy Link.
Or via email or phone links, click on the link sign for a short time, a menu will appear, choose copy link.
► In a new browser tab, now go to the CheckShortURLwebsite»checkshorturl.com/
Right click in the Enter short URL here field and choose Paste. Validate with a single click on the Expand button.
How do you check the reliability of a website?
You know the web address we're trying to redirect you to but don't have enough information to rate its reliability? Again, many free web services will help you see things more clearly by giving you a reputation score. There are many like Sucuri, URLVoid or VirusTotal to name a few. For example in the following article, we will use Should I click.
► Go to Should I click on the website»www.shouldiclick.org
In the Insert Analysis URL field, copy the address of the website you want to check. Confirm with one click on the scan button.
The result is displayed after a few seconds. On the left it displays an image of the website or web page that the link points to and on the right the recommendation and the degree of security.
In recent years, all web browsers have increased their efforts to make web browsing more secure to reduce users' exposure to all kinds of fraud attempts that abound on the web. Armed with monitoring tools connected to databases, they sometimes prevent you from accessing certain suspicious websites or downloading suspicious files. However, it is not infallible.
