Fraudulent copycat websites are a type of Internet fraud where the fraudsters imitate the websites of reputable or well-known financial institutions when in fact the websites are not authorized or related to the relevant financial institutions in any way. The websites may claim to be providing financial services. Those who are taken in will be tempted to part with their money and/or disclose personal information which the fraudsters can use to perpetuate fraudulent transactions. There is no easy way to determine if you are on a fraudulent website because the URL will contain the name of the institution it is spoofing. Never click on a link in an e-mail or pop-up window to go to a site. Type or cut and paste the URL into a new web browser window. If it does not take you to a legitimate website, or you get an error message, the link was probably a cover for a fraudulent website.
