Google has the answers to all our questions. It is a one stop solution for all our queries. Whenever we have to search anything on the Internet, we go to Google. The reason why people like Google so much is that it provides the best information on any topic. Google Search is used for everything from basic food recipes to online banking and news or even buying products.
It is important to understand that Google does not create all the content that you see in the search results page. Google is just an online platform where users get their necessary information from third-party websites. Therefore, whatever we see or learn by searching on Google is not necessarily true and thus it should not be believed blindly. In this article, we are telling you about 10 such things which you should never search on Google as they can lead to your misinformation.
Table of Contents
Tip 1: Avoid searching medical symptoms on Google
If you are feeling unwell, then it’s better to go to a doctor instead of searching about your symptoms on Google. Information found Google is provided by third-party websites so it may not be authentic and for the same reason you should not trust it completely. Also, taking treatments and medicines that are advertised on Google can prove to be dangerous.
You should never search on Google about the treatment of any disease. The symptoms you are getting can be of many types and the information you will get for the treatment may be for another disease. Sometimes you will have very minor health issues but Google will exaggerate your illness. This can have a negative effect on your thinking which can be very dangerous for you.
Tip 2: Avoid searching about financial advice on Google
We all this urge to get our money multiplied overnight without doing any work. For this, a lot of people invest their money in stock market, mutual funds and cryptocurrency in hope to get a good return. If you don’t have the knowledge of the market and you are blindly investing your money based on the information and news you get from Google, then this can prove to be very harmful and you will even lose your money.
Investing is an art which should be purely based on the study of your market. There is no such investment plan that will make everyone rich overnight. You should avoid consulting Google for financial advices as they turn out to be scams most of the time. Most of the news and articles on financial advices are sponsored. They will give you temptations and make you claim that your money will be multiplied but the reality is totally different.
Tip 3: Don’t search for coupon codes and discounts on Google
If you get a special coupon code for discount from the official website where you are shopping online then you can avail that offer. But you should avoid searching for coupon codes on Google because in this way you can be a victim of online fraud. There are phishing websites which can sell you fake coupons at low cost and can steal your banking details. Most of the coupon codes that will find on Google are fake or expired ones.
Tip 4: Avoid searching customer care numbers on Google
Whenever we get into some trouble with any product or service, we try to find the customer care number of the company for their assistance. As Google is the go-to place to find anything on the internet, many people search on it for the customer care numbers of various companies. The phone numbers you find online are mostly fake which are operated by fraudsters only for the purpose of scamming. Instead, you should try to find the customer care number from the company’s official website, product packaging box, or offline store.
Tip 5: Avoid downloading apps from Google
You may already be aware of the fake apps which can install malware (such as Pegasus spyware) on your device and hack your phone. For this reason, you should avoid downloading apps from third-party websites that you found through Google search. It is advised by experts that you should not install apps from unknown sources as they pose a serious security risk.
From the outside, it will look like that you are installing the app of your choice but in reality something else will be downloading in the background. To install any app on your smartphone, always use the official app store i.e. Play Store on Android and App Store on iOS. The apps available on these app stores are verified by the company and they are safe to install.
Tip 6: Avoid searching banned stuff on Google
There are so many things on the internet that have been banned by the government which include illegal activities and sensitive content. You should avoid searching such words on Google. If you are found to be involved in any kind of illegal activity on the internet, you can be arrested and jailed for that. So make sure you don’t cross that line, although you are free to use Google for researching purpose.
Tip 7: Avoid searching banking websites on Google
You should always use the official website for online banking. If you search for your bank website on Google, you may land up on a fake phishing website which can steal your banking details without even letting you know. Phishing websites look very similar to their original version and you may not be able to identify them at first glance.
To avoid banking frauds, you should never search for your bank website on Google and even if you do, double check the web address from the URL tab and make sure that it is correct. RBI has made a list of all bank websites in India on its online portal. You can check this list to find the official website of your bank.
Tip 8: Avoid searching free stuff on Google
Who doesn’t like free stuff? If something is available for free or at a huge discount price, we wouldn’t miss that opportunity to buy that product or service. But you may be surprised to know the fact that nothing is free on the Internet. One way or the other, you are being used for the some benefits. If you always look for free stuff on Google such as free apps, giveaways, lottery, and other such things, then it’s high time you should avoid doing this as it can lead to your online fraud. There are many scam websites out there which can steal your banking details and other confidential data.
Tip 9: Avoid searching for e-commerce websites on Google
All the e-commerce websites keep on bringing attractive offers to their customers. When doing an online shopping, we have to provide our banking details to complete the payment transaction. This makes e-commerce websites a favourite target of online fraudsters to scam with people. Scammers create fake phishing websites of popular e-commerce platforms and provide attractive offers. To avoid yourself from such online frauds, always enter the URL of the e-commerce website directly or use the app.
Tip 10: Don’t search or share your personal information
The last tip we have for you is to keep in your mind that you should never search your personal information on Google such as email address, passwords, credit or debit card details, and more. Everything you search on Google is recorded in your search history and it is shared with third-parties for advertising purposes. If any website that you have visited from the Google search results page is asking you to provide your personal details unnecessarily, you should first check its authenticity.
Conclusion
There is hardly anything that you can’t find on the internet today. Google has emerged as the most popular search engine which we can call as the gateway to the Internet. As much as Google has advantages, it has few disadvantages as well. Online safety, cybersecurity, scamming and banking frauds are some common terms that we get to hear every now and then.
In this article, we have shared with you 10 important things that you should never search on Google for your own good. If you have any question in your mind, feel free to ask us in the comments below. Hope you liked this article. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on social media.
