How to Recognize a Phishing Web Page

Phishing has become the fastest growing threat on the Internet–costing computer users an estimated $1.5 billion a year. A phishing Web page is basically a fake or spoof Web page designed to resemble the real thing, such as a financial web site. Once you input information, you are redirected to a hacker’s page, where they can then obtain your personal information.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. If you receive a suspicious or a phony email–especially one asking for personal or financial information with a link to a Web site–be wary of going to that site. It may well be a fake site masquerading as a real one.

2. There are a few ways to avoid landing on a fake Web page or a phishing Web site. Always type the Web site address into your address bar rather than linking to it from another site. If you keep a frequently visited Web site in your favorites, you can be fairly sure it is genuine. But still maintain caution, as Web sites can be hijacked.

3. Be careful of what are known as “redirects.” If you follow a link in a Web page and end up on a completely different Web site than the one you intended to visit, it may be a sign that the site is a fake or a phishing site.

4. Be particularly careful when buying goods or services online. Make sure it is a Web site that you trust or that others have recommended. If you are providing your credit card information or other financial information to a Web site, always make sure to use a secure server. Ideally, the site should have a privacy policy clearly posted and available.

5. If you have signed into your bank account or credit company Web site as normal, and then you are redirected to a page on which you are asked for other information that you don’t normally need to supply, be suspicious. It may be a phishing Web site.

6. Look for small unauthorized charges on your bank account or credit card. Many phishers or scammers will make small withdrawals so as not to alert you. If those remain undected and unreported, then they make larger withdrawals.

7. Some fake Web pages are very well done and are almost indistinguishable from the genuine pages. They may even have the company logo or graphics exactly as they appear on the real site. On the other hand, some fake sites have spelling and grammar mistakes galore–a dead giveaway.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when you type in a Web address in your address bar. If you mistype or misspell the Web site name, you may end up on a fake Web site. Many fake Web sites are misspelled or contain other grammatical errors.
• In addition to phony or fake Web sites being used for phishing to obtain your personal information, fake sites can also cause you to download a virus or inadvertently cause spyware to be installed on your computer. Spyware is a type of program installed on your computer without your consent that tracks your keystrokes and the sites that you visit.