How to Recognize a Fake URL

Online phishing and identity theft has become a major problem and is a major crime. Everyday, people fall prey to email scams and fake Web sites (that is, sites claiming to be a particular Web site but, when clicked on, actually link to a hacker’s Web site). The URL is the Web address for any Web site, and there are some clues in it that may indicate it will lead you to a fake or a phishing site.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. One of the first rules of online security is to exercise caution at all times. Try to avoid clicking on links in pop-up ads or links in emails that seem to be phony or suspicious. A good general rule is to type the Web site address in your address bar directly, rather than use a link in an email message, especially if you are going to a financial site.

2. You can check the URL in any email or on another Web site by simply holding your mouse above the link. The URL will appear in your browser or status bar (the bar that is usually at the bottom of your screen) and you can see what the name of the site is before you actually click on it.

3. A fairly sure sign that a URL is fake is if the URL contains the "@" sign in the middle of the address. If a URL contains the "@" sign, the browser ignores everything to the left of the link. For example, if you go to a Web site that is www.paypal@150.44.134.189, you are not going to the Paypal site at all. Legitimate sites and companies use a domain name as part of their name rather than the "@" sign.

4. A dead giveaway for a fake URL or a fake Web site is basic spelling mistakes in the Web address itself. Some URLs look very much like the name of a well-known company, but there may be letters transposed or left out. An example might be "mircosoft.com" instead of "microsoft.com." These slight differences can be easy to miss, and that’s what phishers are counting on.

5. The popular Paypal site is a common target for phishers and scammers. Even if a URL contains the word “paypal,” it may not be the authentic Paypal site. Some common URLs that will NOT lead you to the real Paypal site are: www.paypalsecure.com and [e-mail].

Tips & Warnings

• URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is the technical name for the entire web address, such as http://www.ehow.com/.
• When in doubt, use a search engine. Many large companies and organizations simply have their name as their URL, but not all. Scammers are aware of this. For example, if you are looking for GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and you go to gatt.org, you will end up on a hoax site.

[mpsoso]

on 2/25/2009 This information is very helpful and insightful, thank you.

[KissahMyGritz]

on 8/13/2008 This is Hilarious!!!