Long links are shortened for various purposes, including to deceive users. Therefore, you should be careful and check the link on the Internet that you clicked on. Dangerous short links are created by scammers to steal confidential personal data, so if a short link raises doubts, it is better not to click on it at all.
To recognize a dangerous shortened link on the Internet, you first need to analyze it. For this, there are special services for decoding shortened links. They will help you see the real link (long link) that has been shortened. You can use it to determine which site you are going to and whether it is really the site that is described in the link offer.
Some link shorteners also provide a preview option, for example, just add + at the end of the shortened link or enable a special preview mode. Such functionality and its settings depend on the service itself that was used to shorten the long link. You can also check the safety of a site using Google Safe Browsing, just paste the link into the service and it will assess the safety of the site.
How to recognize a dangerous link? For example, a stranger sent it to you. This already looks suspicious, so you should not open such a link. If a message about winnings came along with the shortened link, then this is really written to you by scammers. If after clicking on the shortened link you need to enter personal data and payment card details, then most likely it is phishing.
If you still opened such a dangerous link, then immediately close it and clear the web browser cache, then run the antivirus on your computer and change your passwords for security purposes (if they were entered via an open link). But the best option to protect yourself is not to enter any data via dangerous suspicious links.
Shortened links are not always good and safe, but still they are successfully used by marketers in their work. First of all, they make long links attractive and convenient to use when you need to copy or even remember them. But still, ordinary users should be careful and check all suspicious links. If you have even the slightest doubt when opening a short link, it is better to check it using the methods described above. It will not take much time, but you will be sure of the safety of personal data.