De-Reviews uses a scoring system called TrustScore to assess the safety and credibility of websites. This score, ranging from 1 to 100, helps users understand how trustworthy a site is. A higher score means the site is likely safer to visit, while a lower score suggests it may pose a risk.
What Goes Into TrustScore?
TrustScore is determined by looking at both positive and negative aspects of a website. As websites are updated or change over time, these factors can shift, which means the TrustScore can go up or down. We don’t share the full details of how the score is calculated to prevent people from trying to manipulate it, but here’s an overview of the main factors that affect a website’s TrustScore.
Factors That Improve a Website’s TrustScore
These are the factors that increase a website's TrustScore:
Security Features (HTTPS)
Websites that use HTTPS, indicated by the padlock symbol in the address bar, are considered more secure. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) ensures that the communication between the user’s browser and the website is encrypted, protecting sensitive data like login credentials or payment details. Scammers typically avoid implementing HTTPS due to the costs and effort involved. As a result, websites that use HTTPS are generally rated higher TrustScore because they demonstrate a commitment to user safety and data protection.
Domain Age and WHOIS Details
Older websites are generally perceived as more trustworthy, as they have had more time to establish a reputation. Scam sites, on the other hand, often register new domains and use them for a short time before disappearing after tricking users. A longer domain registration history suggests stability and reliability. Our system takes the registration date and WHOIS details into account, and websites with a longer history tend to receive a higher TrustScore. This is because older sites are less likely to engage in fraudulent activities compared to new, unproven ones.
Essential Pages
Trustworthy websites usually feature essential pages such as "Contact Us," "About Us," and "Privacy Policy." These pages provide transparency and crucial information, helping users understand the website's purpose, how their data is handled, and how to reach the business if needed. A website that lacks these pages might be hiding something or attempting to avoid accountability. So, a site with well-crafted, easily accessible essential pages signals legitimacy and earns a higher TrustScore.
Matching Website and Domain Names
When the name of a website matches its domain name, it builds trust and helps establish credibility. A consistent name across the domain and the website indicates that the business is transparent and straightforward. On the other hand, a mismatch between the website and domain names raises suspicion, as it may signal an attempt to deceive or mislead users. Sites with consistent naming throughout are seen as more reliable and thus get higher TrustScore.
Active Social Media Accounts
Having active social media accounts is a hallmark of a genuine business. Real businesses use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to engage with customers, promote their services, and build trust. Scam websites typically avoid creating or maintaining social media profiles because they require ongoing time, effort, and resources. Sites with active, verified social media accounts are seen as more legitimate and trustworthy. Our system rewards these sites with a higher TrustScore.
Unique Content and Design
Websites that offer original content and a unique design are generally more trustworthy. Creating unique content and custom designs shows that a website has invested time and effort into its presentation and user experience. Scam websites often copy content, images, or even entire designs from other websites to save resources, making them less credible. Websites with original, well-designed content are seen as more legitimate and typically get higher TrustScore.
Clear Contact Information
Genuine websites always provide clear and easy-to-find contact information, such as a physical address, phone number, and email. This shows that the business is accessible and accountable. Scam sites, however, often hide contact details or provide fake information to avoid being traced. Websites with valid and clear contact information receive a higher TrustScore.
Customer Reviews and Ratings
Genuine businesses encourage real customer reviews, which help build trust. Positive reviews on trusted platforms like Google or Trustpilot can boost a website’s credibility. Scam websites often have no reviews or fake positive ones to deceive users. Our system gives higher TrustScores to sites with real reviews.
Frequent Updates and Active Maintenance
Websites that are regularly updated with fresh content, new products, or services show they are active and committed to maintaining a reliable online presence. Scam websites often remain stagnant or are rarely updated because they are set up for short-term use and rapid closure. Sites that update regularly, whether through blogs, news posts, or product updates, tend to get higher TrustScore because they require ongoing investment and care.
Secure Payment Methods
Trustworthy websites offer secure and widely recognized payment methods, such as credit cards, PayPal, or trusted digital wallets. These payment methods provide buyer protection, which enhances the credibility of the site. Scam websites often use questionable payment methods like wire transfers or cryptocurrency, which lack the same level of consumer protection. Our system evaluates the payment methods offered by a site, and those that provide secure and reputable options are given a higher TrustScore.
Privacy and Data Protection Policies
Websites that clearly state how they handle user data, including how it's stored, protected, and used, are more trustworthy. A detailed privacy policy that adheres to data protection regulations like GDPR signals transparency and a commitment to safeguarding user privacy. Scam websites typically either lack a privacy policy or have vague, unhelpful terms. The presence of a robust privacy policy that assures users their data is safe raises the TrustScore.
Trust Seals and Certifications
Websites that display trust seals or certifications from recognized organizations (like the Better Business Bureau, SSL certificates, or payment processors) are seen as more trustworthy. These seals indicate that the site has passed certain security or business reliability checks. Scam websites usually avoid displaying such certifications because they don’t want to be verified by external authorities. A site that displays credible trust seals enhances its TrustScore.
Adherence to Legal and Regulatory Standards
Trustworthy websites follow the relevant legal and regulatory standards for their industry. This could include adherence to consumer protection laws, fair advertising guidelines, or compliance with industry-specific regulations. Scam websites typically ignore or bypass these standards, making them riskier to use. Our system evaluates whether a website is compliant with applicable laws and regulations and rewards sites that follow them with a higher TrustScore.
User Experience and Navigation
A well-structured website that offers an intuitive, user-friendly experience can increase trust. Legitimate businesses prioritize user experience, ensuring that visitors can easily navigate the site, find information, and make purchases without frustration. Scam sites often have confusing layouts, broken links, and hard-to-find information, leading to a poor user experience. Websites with a clean, easy-to-use interface are generally trusted more, leading to a higher TrustScore.
Transparency in Pricing and Refund Policies
Websites that provide clear, straightforward pricing and transparent refund policies help users feel more confident in their purchases. Scam sites often hide fees, offer unclear pricing, or have confusing or nonexistent refund policies to make it harder for customers to get their money back. Sites with clear pricing structures and well-defined refund or return policies tend to score higher in TrustScore, as they signal fairness and transparency.
Factors That Decrease TrustScore
These are the factors that lower a website's TrustScore:
Mismatch Between Website and Domain Names
When the domain name doesn't match the website's name, it raises suspicion. For example, if a website's URL says one thing, but the brand or site name on the homepage is different, it could mean the site is trying to hide its true identity. This inconsistency often signals a lack of transparency, which lowers the site's TrustScore. Legitimate websites usually have their domain name and website name aligned for clarity and authenticity.
Recently Registered Domains
Scam sites frequently register new domains to quickly start fresh after deceiving users or getting flagged. These sites don’t stay around for long, as they are often shut down once they've completed their fraudulent activities. Since new domains are associated with higher risk, websites with recently registered domains tend to have a lower TrustScore.
Lack of Social Media Presence
In today's digital world, legitimate businesses actively use social media to connect with their customers, promote products, and build a reputation. Scam websites, however, often avoid establishing real social media profiles due to the time, effort, and resources it requires. De-Reviews evaluates a site’s social media presence, and when a site lacks genuine, active social media accounts or has fake profiles, the TrustScore is reduced accordingly. The absence of social media accounts is often a red flag for potential scams.
Unrealistic Discounts
Scam sites often attract customers by offering huge discounts on a wide range of products, which seem too good to be true. These deals are designed to grab attention and lure in unsuspecting shoppers. However, legitimate businesses typically offer reasonable discounts, mostly during special sales or holidays. When a site offers unrealistic discounts across many products, it raises a red flag, leading to a lower TrustScore.
Copied Content
One major characteristic of scam websites is the use of copied content. Rather than creating original material, scam sites often steal content from other websites to save time and effort. This lack of originality harms the site’s credibility and is a warning sign to users. De-Reviews lowers the TrustScore for sites that rely on copied content, as genuine websites are expected to produce unique and original content that reflects their authenticity.
Risky Hosting Servers
Many scam sites are hosted on servers that also host other unreliable or harmful websites. These shared servers are often linked to malicious activity, making the site more likely to be flagged as unsafe. Our system can detect high-risk servers by analyzing the website's hosting environment, and when a site is found to be using such servers, its TrustScore is lowered. Legitimate websites typically use trusted and secure hosting services to ensure a safe experience for visitors.
Suspicious Payment Methods
Websites that offer payment options like wire transfers or cryptocurrencies without proper security measures often signal a higher risk. These payment methods can be harder to trace, making them attractive to scammers. This lowers website’s TrustScores. Trustworthy websites typically use well-known and secure payment gateways such as credit cards, PayPal, or other trusted systems that provide buyer protection.
Poor Website Design and User Experience
Scam websites often have poor design, slow load times, and a confusing user interface. They may lack clear navigation or have broken links, which can make it difficult for visitors to trust the site. A professional, well-designed website is a key indicator of a legitimate business, while poorly designed sites tend to have lower TrustScores. Websites that are hard to navigate or look unprofessional are seen as a risk to users.
No Contact Information or Transparency
Legitimate businesses provide clear contact information, including a physical address, phone number, and email. Scam sites often hide this information or provide fake contact details to make it harder for users to reach them. A site with no contact details or vague information (such as just an email address) is considered unreliable, which negatively impacts its TrustScore.
Unclear or Missing Privacy Policy
Trustworthy websites have clear privacy policies outlining how they handle user data. Scam websites often neglect to include privacy policies or provide vague, confusing information about how they use or protect personal data. A missing or unclear privacy policy is a red flag, and sites lacking this transparency tend to have a lower TrustScore.
Frequent Negative User Reviews
Websites that consistently receive negative reviews, particularly regarding security, fraud, or customer service issues, are flagged as risky. Scam sites may manipulate reviews, but real customer complaints can still surface. If a website has numerous complaints or reports from users about scams, poor service, or fraud, it receive a lower TrustScore.
Inconsistent or Poor Grammar
Scam websites often feature poorly written content with grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, or unnatural language. While a small typo here and there is common, scam sites often have large amounts of content that are unprofessional or poorly written. This lack of attention to detail lowers the TrustScore, as it suggests the site is not genuine.
Overuse of Pop-up Ads and Redirects
Scam sites frequently use pop-up ads, excessive redirects, and other aggressive tactics to push users into making hasty decisions. These disruptions in the user experience are frustrating and often signal that a site is untrustworthy. A high volume of intrusive ads or redirects negatively affects the TrustScore, as they suggest the site is using deceptive methods to manipulate visitors.
How to Interpret TrustScores
Here’s how you can interpret TrustScores to evaluate the trustworthiness of a website:
1 to 23 - High Risk
Websites in this range may be linked to scams, phishing, or harmful software. It’s recommended to exercise caution and refrain from sharing personal or financial information on these sites.
24 to 73 - Moderate Risk
These sites are questionable and raise uncertainties, so it's important to exercise caution when interacting with them, especially when sharing sensitive information.
73 to 100 - Low Risk
These websites are usually trustworthy and safe to use, but it's always a good idea to be careful when sharing personal information, as even legitimate sites can have security flaws.
Disclaimer
No matter the TrustScore, it’s important to do your own research before interacting with any website. The TrustScore gives you helpful information about a site’s reliability, but it shouldn't be your only factor in making decisions. Also remember that the TrustScore can change over time as websites update their content or add new information.
A Final Word
De-Reviews regularly updates its system to keep up with new scam tactics. Although scammers try to adapt, they can’t always hide their tracks completely. So, always verify the TrustScore on De-Reviews before trusting a website.
Prioritize your online safety and rely on De-Reviews to help you with that!
