Someone does everything right: instead of clicking a link in an email, they open a search engine and type the name of their bank. The first result leads to a copy. The habit meant to protect them did not — and that is the unpleasant part of this scheme.
Telling ads from results
- The “Ad” or “Sponsored” label next to the link. It is small and grey, but it is there — and it is the only reliable marker.
- Position. The first one to four slots are usually paid; ordinary results start below them.
- The address under the headline. In an ad it is displayed the way the advertiser chose and may differ from the real one.
An ad is not in itself a sign of a fake — real companies buy their own name too. But it is in the ad block that a fake can sit above the genuine site, and that is the whole problem.
What to look at
| Sign | What it means |
|---|---|
| Similar domain, not the right one | A hyphen, an extra letter, a different zone — reading an address |
| The site asks you to sign in straight away | A real bank does not greet you with a login form from an ad |
| The usual sections are missing | A fake reproduces one page, not a whole site |
| It asks for a code from a message | That is not a sign-in, that is confirming an operation |
| It offers an app download | Apps are installed from the official store, not from a link |
| It promises a payout or compensation | Classic bait with no relation to the real service |
What to do instead of searching
-
A bookmark
For banking, email and government services — bookmark once and never search again. Boring, and it removes the problem entirely.
-
The app instead of the site
An app installed from the official store cannot be faked as easily as a page.
-
Scroll past the ads
If you do search, do not take the first link automatically. Ordinary results are below, and the real site is almost always among them.
-
Type the address yourself
Five seconds. Your bank's address is printed on the back of your card.
If a password has been entered on a fake, see what to do after a leak. General signs of fake pages are in phishing.