Computers are a major part of our lives. Millions of people have jobs using computers. Others shop online, do their banking, watch movies, listen to music, connect with family and friends on Facebook, research for information, capture and store photos, Skype, and even take online college courses to get their degrees.

Scammers know this. They also know that you’re looking for reputable, trustworthy websites that have safety features imbedded in the address bar. We as consumers have always been trained to verify that a site is secure by finding the yellow padlock icon AND the https:// prefix in the website address bar. These two indicators in the address bar signify that the site you’re on is secure and encrypted.

HOWEVER, WE NOW HAVE A PROBLEM. Scammers are buying and receiving expensive encryption certificates using their own sophisticated technology. It has been discovered that more than half of all fraudulent sites on the internet have a padlock attached in the address bar. The HTTPS:// prefix may be missing. If you rely just on seeing the padlock icon, you may be putting yourself at risk. THIS new trick of putting a padlock on a fraudulent website created by scammers can be very damaging to you and your identity. It’s an insidious and highly deceptive crime.

What can we do about this issue? Here are a few tips:
1. Carefully type in the address yourself, making sure every letter and symbol is correct.
2. Keep your computer browser up to date. Most good browsers will warn you if something is wrong.
3. Keep your internet security software up to date.
4. Recheck the URL (Universal Resource Locator), which is the address bar, and match it to the page you’re on in your screen. You should see both the https:// prefix and the padlock icon.
 

These are extra steps but it’s definitely worth your while.