“Famous personality, pumanaw na”–how many times have you encountered this headline online only to find out that it is fake news? Fake news seem harmless, but misleading information can actually affect decision making and rouse insidious ideas especially when a massive audience is involved.

As migrants in the online space, everyone needs to be extra careful when dealing with news and information before clicking that “share” button. Just because most of your friends are sharing it, it does not mean it is factual. Never rely on face value, always verify the facts and check the source.

Speaking of face value, some websites are also made to look like the real thing so they can trick people into giving information. Complete with logos, fonts, and images used in the original website, phishers put in a lot of effort to lure people to fake websites for scams.

A famous fast food chain has been hit with a fake delivery website recently. The fraudulent website was able to garner attention because of the fake promos and discounts that came with it. To protect yourself from these scams, here are five simple steps to take when visiting any website.

1. Examine the web address. Play close attention to the site address, especially spelling errors hidden in the link. Hover your mouse over the address bar in your browser and check if the URL is the one you intended to visit. Make sure that “https” appears on the address bar.
2. Type in the web address. Do not just click links to visit a website. Type in the web address manually to make sure you’re on the right site.
3. Verify site security. Click on the padlock icon in your browser and check if the site has a digital certificate.
4. Watch out for appeals to your emotion or urgent action. If the website provokes a sense of urgency asking you to do something or click on a link immediately, or offers something that is too good to be true, think twice. Never share your personal and account details.
5. Visit official channels. When in doubt, visit the official channels of the service provider to look for the legitimate website link and to verify existing promos.