What are Fake Site Scams?

Some malicious webpages are deliberately designed to look exactly like another website. Even the links on the page go to the real website, and in some cases, if you try to go to the site directly, it will forward you to the real site. This combination makes these site difficult to find, however for users that aren't looking for them, they can show up. These sites usually have a special offer to entice the user to either enter personal information or to get credit card numbers.

Concerns for Parents

Giving out certain information can lead to other problems, like identity theft and illegal charges to bank or credit card accounts.

How Can I Keep My Child Safe?

• To avoid these sites, make sure that the URL of the page matches the link that brought you there. If the link says that you're going to www.Skype.com/download, and the URL at the top of the page (after clicking on the link) says skypeofficial.info/off.php?aff=38095, a flag should go up. The URL should also match the links to other parts of the site.
• This can often be the case with advertisement links because it is easy to hide the actual URL the ad brings you to. For example, a Google Ad first goes through Google before taking you to the site it's advertising.
• A good general rule is to never give information on webpages that aren't secure. Look for the https:// at the beginning of the URL, instead of http:// .