 Online consumers make lucrative targets for cyber criminals, and cyber criminals continue to change their tactics and attacks in order to stay ahead of the authorities. It can be difficult to keep up with the latest scams and frauds. But if you can spot a fake Web site before it harms you and your computer, you will fare much better in the fight against cyber crime.
 What’s Out There? | 
Look for a yellow padlock icon in Internet Explorer’s status bar or “https” in your browser’s Address bar, which both indicate a secured Web site. |
Many fraudulent Web sites are spoofed sites that are designed to look just like a legitimate company’s Web site, hoping you will enter personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. Sometimes, the links to spoofed Web sites are embedded in unsolicited emails or pop-up ads.
Other Web sites might offer you get-rich-quick programs, hoping you will invest in a worthless company. And sometimes, cyber criminals will advertise phony investments—again, hoping you will give out personal information, such as your Social Security number and birth date.
Spot Fake Web Sites
You don’t have to swear off the use of Internet shopping, online banking, or any other online activity that offers convenience and enjoyment. As long as you follow these basic guidelines, you will be much less likely to fall prey to an Internet scam.
Look for clues. Fraudulent Web sites will often try to fool people by slightly misspelling words in the URL or by decorating the site with lots of distracting clip art. Spammers will try to get people to go to their fraudulent Web sites by embedding links into unsolicited spam email. Never click a link that is embedded in an email. Instead, open your Web browser and manually type the address into the Address bar. This will help you catch any misspelled words or other inconsistencies.
If you stumble across a link you are interested in but are unsure of its safety, right-click the link and then open Properties. This will give you the true destination of the link, so you can’t be fooled into thinking you’re going to a Web site you are not actually going to. | 
Watch out for sites that direct you to a different link without giving you the URL. |
If you are an Internet Explorer user, pay close attention to the yellow padlock icon on the status bar. This symbol indicates that the Web site uses encryption to help protect any personal information such as your credit card number, Social Security number, or birth date. The lock icon only appears on sites that use an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection, which is generally used only on sites where you enter sensitive information.
Also, pay attention to the URL itself. Look for sites that use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol, Secure) when making online transactions or entering sensitive information. If you see “https” at the beginning of an address rather than “http,” the site is using SSL to enable the secure transmission of Web pages.
Look for contact information. Most legitimate Web sites will have contact information such as an address or telephone number cited at the bottom of the Web page. Many Web sites will also have an About Us or Contact Us section with more contact information. If you want to make sure the company or organization is legitimate, call the numbers provided. If you are at all suspicious of a Web site, avoid sending messages to email addresses provided, because you could end up on a spammer’s list.
Search the Web. If you have never heard of the organization whose Web site is in question, enter the name into an Internet search engine, such as Google (www.google.com), and see what others are saying about the same Web site and organization. You may be able to find out if the organization has been flagged for criminal activity. If someone has turned the Web site in for fraud, agencies such as the FBI, Department of Justice, or Federal Trade Commission may have warnings or reports that will show up through an Internet search, or you can even search those agencies’ sites directly.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
When it comes to Internet safety, no action you take to keep yourself safe is too drastic. It’s best to comb through Web sites carefully rather than deal with identity theft or malware later. It’s also a good idea to consider purchasing Internet safety software such as McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus ($19.99; www.mcafee.com) or Norton Internet Security ($59.99; www.symantec.com). In addition, regularly check Windows Update (update.microsoft.com) for security fixes so that your Windows operating system and Internet Explorer will always have the most up-to-date patches, strengthening your protection against malware and spoofing. Whatever you do to protect yourself from cyber crime, be sure it’s not too little, too late. 
by Tessa Warner Breneman
Clues To Look For
Misspelled words. Watch for slightly misspelled words or additional characters and symbols in URLs.
Contact information. A company or organization that has incorrect contact information (or no contact information at all) listed on its Web site is usually a red flag.
Clip art. Watch out for sites that are decorated with an abundance of flashy clip art.
Security symbols. If you see a yellow padlock icon in Internet Explorer’s status bar or “https” in the Address bar, you can rest assured that you are at a secured site.
Incorrect links. Pay attention to the actual link you are clicking. Roll your mouse pointer over a link or right-click a link and select Properties to see the link’s exact URL to make sure you are in fact going to the intended Web site. |
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