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Cyberproofing yourself from Fake Websites

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PwC shares some simple tips on how to look out for scam websites

As the internet becomes part of our everyday lives, are we fully aware of the possible dangers?

Singapore Police Force’s 2016 annual crime statistics showed that there has been a significant rise in fake website scams. Which is why just few weeks ago, CSA shared some broad tips on how to be cybersecure – read it here if you missed it!

Regarding fake websites, do you know how to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not?

Fake websites are forged sites that appear very similar to a legitimate website of a trusted organisation and fool users into believing that they are navigating the real website. In recent years, cyber criminals have made use of website spoofing to obtain personal information and passwords from unsuspecting users. If you are not careful, you may fall prey to these spoofs.

Here are some tips to identify spoofed websites:

  • Check the URL – spoofed websites usually have a URL that are similar to the real website but with minor errors. For instance, ‘o’ (letter) may be replaced by ‘0’ (zero). If you are visiting a website, the best way is to type out the URL to ensure that you are accessing the legitimate page.
  • Be careful of hyperlinks – very often, criminals use phishing emails to spread the link to the spoofed website. Ensure that the email is from a legitimate sender before clicking any link.
  • Suspicious layout of the website – if the overview of the site, images or logos appear inconsistent, be wary that the site may be a spoofed one. Check the URL before entering any confidential information such as username and password.

Visit www.csa.gov.sg/gosafeonline for more information and practical tips regarding Internet safety.


Article attributed to Mr. Vincent Loy, Asia Pacific and Singapore Financial Crime, Cyber and Data & Analytics Leader, PwC Singapore.

PwC Singapore is a member of the Cyber Security Awareness Alliance. The Alliance, which comprises members from the government, private sector agencies as well as trade associations, aims to build a positive culture of cybersecurity, as well as promote and enhance awareness and adoption of essential cybersecurity practices.

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