Scam website alert: Expert reveals 7 warning signs


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Are you worried about falling victim to online scams and attacks? If so, you are not alone, as 81% of Brits fear fraudulent attacks, according to the NCSC.   

Scammers have utilised increasingly creative tactics to gain access to your personal information, making it harder to identify and protect yourself from phishing scams and fraudulent attacks. Recently in the UK, consumers have been exploited via fake texts inviting recipients to apply for the £400 energy bill discount, only to be met by a fake ‘Ofgem’ website asking for personal financial details. 

With this in mind, we have joined forces with Bespoke Software Development Company to share some lesser-known tips on how to protect yourself from fraudulent websites and popular scams. 

1. Examine the address bar

There are a few tell-tale signs as to whether a website is fraudulent or not, and these can be easily spotted by just looking at the address bar. Secure websites often have a padlock in the search bar, and will have ‘HTTPS’ at the start of the URL, signalling that the connection is encrypted.

If the website that you are visiting does not have these features, there is a risk it could be fraudulent. It is important that you only visit sites that have ‘HTTPS’, although this does not automatically mean that you can trust the website. 

Scammers often imitate the URLs of authoritative and trustworthy brands or websites by changing the URL slightly with misspellings or punctuation differences. If the URL has these features, it is likely that it could be a phishing site infected with malicious software. 

Expert tips: 

  • Never trust a HTTP website with your personal details. 

  • Do not ignore warnings from your web browser when you are entering dangerous or deceptive sites. 

  • Always check for spelling mistakes and other inconsistencies in the URL.

2. Check for legitimate details 

To avoid risking your money and data when purchasing online, you can check for the company’s existence in real life. You can do this by checking a company’s address and contact information, try using google maps to see if the company’s address exists or calling the listed phone number to see if…

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