A LIST of clues that indicate a website is fake, has been released by Chase Bank.
Internet fraud[1] is defined as a “type of cybercrime, fraud or deception which makes use of the internet,” according to The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Internet[2].
1
“[This] could involve hiding of information or providing incorrect information for the purpose of tricking victims out of money, property, and inheritance,” the website states.
Commonly, an online scam will begin with a fake email[3] or text message[4] that leads to a fake website.
Chase Bank has published a list of eight clues to look out for, to decipher if a website is legitimate.
1. STUDY ADDRESS BAR & URL
“A misspelling in any portion of the web address almost always indicates a website is not legitimate,” according to Chase.
Also, Double click the address bar in your browser and check for the “s” in “https,” which stands for secure.
“Unfortunately, “https” is not always a guarantee the site is secure. Bad actors have learned to spoof this security protocol,” according to Chase, so this alone shouldn’t be considered proof it’s secure.
2. PROBE SSL CERT
The most commonly used web browsers today recognize a website’s Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), otherwise known as the security certificate.
If so, your browser will show a closed padlock symbol in the address bar.
Most read in News Tech
However, sometimes, the SSL can be spoofed.
“You can usually select the padlock icon to view if the connection is secure, as well as the details of the certificate,” according to Chase.
3. CHECK SITE FOR POOR SPELLING & GRAMMAR
Misspelling, punctuation, and grammar errors on a company’s homepage are common tell-tale signs.
4. CHECK THE CONTACT PAGE
A legitimate company will not withhold the ways you can contact them.
However, if you do find contact information, this alone isn’t sufficient to prove it’s an honest website.
If there is only one contact option – like an email but no number – or a generic contact form, this could be considered withholding contact information.
5. REVIEW SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
Consider visiting social media sites directly to confirm a company’s presence and activity, advises Chase.
If you can locate social media profiles for the company, look out for both the number and quality of followers – a handful of bot-looking followers should not fill you with confidence.
Too many stock photos and posts without any actual text are also common signs of an illegitimate social media account.
6. CHECK THE PRIVACY POLICY
Legally, most companies are required to provide a privacy policy or data collection policy on their website.
Check the bottom of the website for these policies.
If you can’t find this information, you may not be viewing a legitimate website, says Chase.
7. QUESTIONABLE LINKS
Often, scammers will direct you to a fake site in order to coax you into clicking another link within the site.
That link could have malware or request your personal information.
“Although many legitimate companies communicate digitally, updating or submitting your personal info should require a sign-in or some other verification,” advises Chase.
“Ask yourself if you do business with the company whose link is in the email. If you have never been a PayPal[5] customer, you should not get emails that say your PayPal account is locked.”
References
- ^ fraud (www.the-sun.com)
- ^ The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Internet (books.google.co.uk)
- ^ fake email (www.the-sun.com)
- ^ text message (www.the-sun.com)
- ^ PayPal (www.the-sun.com)