How to spot a fake link on a Mac

A fake link is a web address built to look like one you trust. You can check the address before you click, and Switchman can mark the differing characters for you when a link is about to open. It only warns; a warning is not proof.

Four tricks to look for

1. rn instead of m. Two letters squeezed together read as one.
   Real

   example.com

   example domain

   Look closer

   exarnple.com

   is it “m”, or “r” + “n”?
2. The digit 1 for a lowercase l. paypa1.example instead of paypal.example; also 0 for o, and letters from other alphabets that look the same.
3. A brand plus a login word. amazon-verify.example is not Amazon: the real name has to sit right before the ending.
4. A fake subdomain. In account-check.example/amazon.com or amazon.com.account-check.example, read the part just before the ending to know who owns it.

How Switchman marks them

When a link reaches Switchman, it compares the address with real sites before anything opens. The characters that differ are marked, and the panel says which of two levels it is.

Colour is never the only cue: the icon, the label and the underline weight change too. It can miss things, and a warning isn’t proof. The check runs on your Mac; the link isn’t sent anywhere. With Pro, short links unfold first and the real destination is checked too.