Each year more people are turning to the internet for shopping, banking, and conducting other types of personal business. While the internet makes it easier to accomplish daily tasks and eliminates many of our traditional errands, it also introduces new risks that can jeopardize our personal and financial well-being. One growing trend in internet crime is known as “spoofing”. “Spoofing” occurs when an internet user is directed to a website that was created by a hacker to look exactly like a trusted bank, creditor, or other customer service website. These fake sites are intended to convince consumers they are at the correct website so they’ll enter personal or financial information without suspicion. Past “spoofing” scams have included popular sites like eBay, PayPal, MySpace, Citibank, and Amazon. There is more than one way to stumble upon these sites. The most common is by clicking on a link in an email that looks to be from a trusted source. Another trick used by hackers involves using a common misspelling as the site’s web address. Some hackers even use viruses or spyware that, when installed on your hard-drive, will redirect you to their site upon entering an authentic address. Here are some tips you can use to protect yourself against “spoofing” scams:

• If you receive an unsolicited email instructing you to click on a link to visit a website regarding your personal or account information, pick up the phone and call the company. Be sure to use the phone number printed on your statement.
• When accessing a website, keep an eye on the web address. Many legitimate addresses will be followed by a backslash and a suffix. Many “spoofed” addresses will include a prefix or a string of characters with no relation to the site’s content. If you’re unsure whether a site is real or a spoof, call or email the business for verification.
• Right-click on a website’s link, and then click properties. This should reveal a link’s true destination.
• Look for a padlock near the bottom of your web browser, and find the https (not http) at the beginning of the web address. This indicates that the site is secure.