How to spot scam websites that your browser says are safe | Kaspersky official blog

The threat involves websites that appear legitimate and secure to browsers but operate in a gray area of trustworthiness. They include subscription services with hidden renewal fees, scam online stores that steal money and personal data, fraudulent crypto exchanges that misappropriate funds and credentials, middleman services charging inflated fees for free or cheap services, and fake protective browser extensions that hijack user data and sessions. These sites may not always break laws but use deceptive practices and obscure terms to exploit users. The report emphasizes the difficulty in detecting these sites using standard browser security indicators and highlights the risks of interacting with them, including financial loss, identity theft, and account hijacking.

Users interacting with these gray-area websites risk financial loss through hidden subscription fees, fraudulent purchases, and investment scams. Personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and payment card details can be stolen and sold or used for further phishing attacks. Crypto wallet keys and accounts may be compromised, leading to irreversible asset loss. Fake browser extensions can hijack browsing sessions and steal cookies, enabling account takeovers. Victims may also suffer identity theft and unauthorized use of sensitive personal data, which can have long-term consequences.

No official patches or fixes apply as this is a category of deceptive websites rather than a software vulnerability. Users should exercise caution when interacting with websites, especially those offering deals that seem too good to be true, requiring unusual payment methods (cryptocurrency, bank transfers), or requesting sensitive personal information. Avoid installing browser extensions from untrusted sources and prefer security solutions with reputable protective extensions, such as the Kaspersky Protection browser extension, which can block data collection and phishing attempts. Always read terms of service carefully and be wary of buried or obscure disclaimers. If a site requests cryptocurrency payments or seed phrases, treat this as a serious red flag.