Recently, there was an alert about the ASIC Moneysmart website being impersonated. It’s part of a growing – and increasingly sophisticated – trend of scammers targeting reputable, high traffic websites.
These days, websites can be very easily set up and look quite professional without much effort, thanks to templates.
So, whether you’re visiting the website of your bank, insurer, or a government agency, how can you be sure you’re in the right place? Here are some top tips.
Does the URL match the content: Take the time to check a website’s URL. Many scammers take advantage of people not checking by showing content from known and trusted brands.
Be wary of shortened links: If you receive a shortened link (like bit.ly), only click on it if you’re already confident that the website is genuine.
Be wary of redirects: if a page ‘refreshes’ multiple times before it loads, with different content or a different URL, this may be because of multiple redirects - a warning sign of a scam website.
Search for the website: If the website is from a major brand or is showing a news article from a well-known news source, search for the name or title in a search engine. Compare and check that it brings up the same URL.
The URL (web address) of the webpage you’re on will be in the browser bar at the top of your webpage.
You can also check the URL of any links on a webpage simply by hovering your mouse over the link.
Search for scam alerts and warnings
You can check for alerts in a few ways:
Check how old the website is
Scam websites are often online for a short period of time before they get shut down or move on to a new website.
You can check how old a website is by searching for ‘WHOIS search’ and conducting a free search. The ‘Registered On’ date is the date that a website was registered – anything newer that 6 months is a red flag.
Look closely at the website content
Unusual language: If a website uses an odd turn of phrase, try searching online for it. If many websites turn up which use the same wording, be cautious as they may be scam websites that were set up by the same person.
Check for spelling and grammar errors: Scam websites often have poor language quality or awkward phrasing. Read it carefully to see if it makes sense.
Being encouraged to invest? Here’s what to check before trusting a business with your money, and how to spot the signs of a scam.
Check for a physical address, phone number and email. Legitimate businesses provide real contact details, and any license or registration details, clearly.
Be on alert for these red flags:
Here are other signs you may be looking at a scam website:
Always be cautious of scammers impersonating legitimate businesses, especially if you are looking to invest your money. Look for signs of imposter bond scams and other investment scams.
Act fast if you suspect a scam
Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), collates information about all scam types. They use this information to warn and protect the public. Scamwatch also sends information to other agencies, including ASIC and ReportCyber, to help stop scammers. Report all scams, including investment scams, to Scamwatch.
Reproduced with the permission of ASIC’s MoneySmart Team. This article was originally published at https://moneysmart.gov.au/online-safety/how-to-spot-a-scam-website
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General Advice Warning - Any advice included in this article has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, you should consider whether it's appropriate to you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs.
