How to Recognise Phishing Websites: A Practical Guide

Emil Gheonea

Software engineer & founder of LinkThreatScan · 18 February 2026

Phishing attacks account for over 90% of all data breaches worldwide. Cybercriminals create convincing copies of trusted websites — banks, social networks, government portals — to steal credentials, payment details, and personal information. Knowing how to spot a phishing site before you type anything is one of the most valuable cybersecurity skills you can develop.

Check the URL very carefully

The address bar is your first line of defence. Phishing sites rely on you glancing at the URL and thinking it looks right. Common tricks include replacing letters with visually similar characters (e.g. 'rn' instead of 'm', '0' instead of 'o'), inserting the legitimate brand name somewhere in a longer URL (e.g. paypal-secure-login.com), using subdomains to mislead (e.g. paypal.com.malicious.net), or using recently registered domain extensions (.xyz, .top, .click) instead of the expected .com or country code.

Look at the SSL certificate — but don't trust it blindly

A padlock icon in the address bar only means the connection is encrypted, not that the site is safe. Phishing sites routinely obtain free SSL certificates from providers like Let's Encrypt, so HTTPS alone is not a trustworthiness signal. You should click the padlock and inspect who issued the certificate and for which domain. A certificate issued to 'paypa1-secure.com' from a free CA should raise immediate alarm.

Inspect the page design for inconsistencies

Phishing pages are often quick clones. Look for blurry logos, mismatched fonts, broken images, outdated copyright dates, non-functional links in the footer, or generic text that doesn't quite match the brand's usual tone. Hover over any link before clicking — the status bar will show you the actual destination URL.

Check the domain age

Most phishing domains are registered days or hours before an attack campaign. A domain that was registered yesterday has no legitimate business history. Tools like WHOIS lookups — or a scanner like LinkThreatScan — can reveal domain age instantly. If a site claiming to be your bank was registered three days ago, close the tab immediately.

Watch for unusual urgency

Phishing sites create pressure. 'Your account will be suspended in 24 hours.' 'Confirm your identity immediately or lose access.' Legitimate companies do not communicate this way. Urgency is a manipulation tactic designed to stop you thinking critically.

Use a link scanner before visiting

The safest approach is to never visit a suspicious URL at all. Paste it into a scanner like LinkThreatScan first. We check the domain against real-time blacklist databases, inspect the SSL certificate, analyse DNS records, and return a risk score — all before your browser makes any contact with the site.