For cybercriminals, stealing your login information can be just as valuable as stealing your bank account information*. If they gain access to your email and password, they may find clues in your account that they can use to create highly targeted phishing attacks against you, your organization, or your family. Once the hackers have your login information, the hackers can even sell it for payment.
How Does It Work?
A popular method used to steal your credentials is to use fake login pages to capture your login details. These types of attacks usually start with a phishing email that directs you to use a link in the email to “log in to your account”. The emails are usually authentic-looking and present a seemingly-normal request. If you click this link, you’re brought to a login page that looks almost identical to the one you’re used to but is actually a fake page. Once you’ve entered your email and password on the fake page, you may be redirected to the real website–leaving you unaware that your login credentials were stolen.
How Do I Spot a Fake Page?
As the first line of defense, always navigate to your account’s login page by typing the web address in your browser, or using a bookmark that you’ve saved–rather than clicking through links in an email.
Also, be aware of the following tips to help you identify fake web pages:
- Pay attention to the address bar. To be on the safe side, make sure the website starts with https:// before entering any personal information.
- Check the domain name. Make sure that the website that you are on is correctly spelled and not mimicking a well known brand or company.
- Watch for poor grammar and spelling. An excess of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar mistakes can indicate that the website was put together fairly quickly with no regard for professionalism.
- Look for reliable contact information. If you can find another way to contact the brand or company, reach out to them to confirm the email is real.
- Walk away from deals that are too good to be true. Some retailers will discount older merchandise but if the latest item is also heavily discounted, walk away. It’s probably too good to be true!