Surfers can't spot phishing sites

Research has revealed that many people can't tell whether a website is fraudulent or not.

According to a report from security firm Verisign, 88 per cent of surfers can't spot a phishing website, putting them at risk of fraud.

Many people surveyed by Verisign didn't know to look out for a padlock symbol in the browser address bar or that requests for additional account information was a sign of a phishing site.

Read Web User's guide to online security

Another tell-tale sign is the URL itself, which should be easily recognisable as belonging to the brand in question.

Additionally, businesses face losing the trust of their customers if their brand is used by phishers.

"It takes only one phishing attack to dramatically reduce the web browsing public’s trust in an organisation. Once that trust is lost, it is very difficult to regain," said Andrew McClelland of the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).