Comptroller Warning to Consumers

July 24, 2000

The The Office of the Comptroller of the Currrency, one of the federal agencies which regulates banking activity, is warning consumers to be on the lookout for "spoof" Web sites that ask consumers for personal information (passwords, account numbers, and such). Increasingly sites are deceiving, using syntax to confuse consumers into believing a site is that of a well-known company. From leaving out the "." in wwwbankofamerica.com (compare to the legitimate www.bankofamerica.com) to using an "i" in PayPai to simulate an "l" for PayPal, these "spoof" sites victimize both consumers and companies.

Advice

Consumers should protect themselves by making sure personal information is sent to the correct Web site through a secure certificate system.

Companies should assign employees to monitor the Web for spoofs, and consider legal action. Companies might also consider buying the rights to similar domain names to provide less room for these fake sites to be launched.