Online shopping and finance scams

Online scams can include phishing websites and other forms of online information theft.

How to avoid online scams

install antivirus software and keep it updated
turn on your firewalls
look for the green padlock in your browser's URL bar. Genuine websites use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt data transmission and their web URL begins with https://
change your passwords frequently and use a new password for each account
when using public wi-fi, do not select from the list available, ask a member of staff the exact name of the connection
government services including car tax, provisional driving license, passport renewal, European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and Blue Badge renewal can all be found on the official government website - ensure when searching for these services online that you go via this site (beginning with www.gov.uk).
if you think your email or password has been compromised, clean your computer with antivirus and change your password immediately
don't make your email address public on different websites.

Phishing websites

Phishing websites look like legitimate sites that are designed to trick you into giving personal and financial information, pay for a service you could get cheaper or for free or buy counterfeit goods you thought were genuine.

Spot a phishing website:

check the website's URL. Phishing websites usually have the URL slightly different from the genuine website
look for spelling and punctuation errors. Often English is not the first language of the scammers and they might miss some errors when they proofread
examine images and logos. Look carefully, as they might be distorted and have poor image quality.
be wary of pop-ups. If you navigate to a website and a pop-up shows up asking you for username and password, shut the pop-up and leave the website.