If you click on a link to an organisation’s website, and then have doubts about the authenticity of the website, there are a few things you can check to make sure the website is the real deal:
- Check links in emails
Before clicking on a link in an email, hover over the link to check the destination URL. Fraudsters could type our web address, but hyperlink it to another website. Hovering over the link will show the link you’ll be directed to so you can make sure it’s real – for example, Triodos Bank’s website address is https://www.triodos.co.uk.
- Check the browser bar
Make sure the web address in the browser bar looks genuine – if it’s overly long and contains lots of unusual characters, it may be a fake website. Our web address should start https://www.triodos.co.uk.
Get Safe Online has partnered with Cifas to help you check if a website is safe to use. Visit www.getsafeonline.org to see if a website is genuine.
- Check the security label
Look out for a security label in the browser bar, on the left-hand side with a green padlock icon. Ours says: Triodos Bank N.V. (NL).
- Use a search engine
If you’re not sure, open a new browser window and search for the organisation to check their genuine website address.
- Call to check
Open a new browser tab or window and search for the organisation to find their published phone number so you can call them to check whether the email or text you received was genuine. You can call us on 0330 355 0335.
