Pay close attention to the address bar
The first thing you want to look for on a website is the
https:// at the beginning of the address. The S in
https:// stands for
secure and indicates that the website uses encryption to transfer data, protecting it from hackers.
If a website uses
http:// (no S), that doesn’t guarantee that a website is a scam, but it’s something to watch for.
To be on the safe side, you should never enter personal information into a site beginning with http://.
Some internet browsers, like Google Chrome, lend a hand in warning you about unsecured websites. When a site is secure, you may see a small padlock next to the web address, or the address may be highlighted in green. You might also notice the domain name next to the padlock before the
https://. That means the website has one of the highest levels of encryption and can be trusted.
Some browsers highlight unsecured web addresses in red or simply say “
Not secure.”
If you’re unsure, you can click on the padlock or “Not secure” notice to see more details about the website’s security. You can also check up on a site through
Google’s safe site search. The presence of the
https:// doesn’t guarantee security, but it’s a good starting point.