How to protect yourself online and what to do afterwards

Fighting plagiarism

https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905

Online services for checking a website

Google Safe Browsing – checks the site for viruses and phishing. https://safebrowsing.google.com/

VirusTotal – analyses the site using anti-virus databases. https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload

ScamAdviser – evaluates a site's credibility based on user reviews and domain data. https://www.scamadviser.com/

Whois Lookup – shows the owner and registration date of the site (fraudulent sites are often fresh). https://www.whois.com/whois/

CheckPhish – checks the site for phishing. https://checkphish.bolster.ai/

 Additional site checks

✅ SSL certificate (HTTPS) – if there is no 🔒 HTTPS in the address, the site may not be secure.

✅ Age of the domain – fraudulent sites often exist for several months. You can check via Whois.

✅ Spelling and design – errors, crooked design, overly tempting offers are red flags.

🚨 Report the Scam

Your Local Authorities – If you've lost money, report it to your local police or fraud department. Cybercrime Agencies

Google: Complaint form for fraudulent websites. https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/2952493

USA: FTC Report Fraud https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

UK: Action Fraud https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

EU: Europol Cybercrime Reporting https://www.europol.europa.eu/report-a-crime

🔍 Report the Website

Your Bank or Payment Provider – If you made a payment, request a chargeback.

Google Safe Browsing: Report Phishing https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_general/

Microsoft: Report Unsafe Site https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/support/report-unsafe-site

Web Hosting Provider: Use Whois Lookup to find the hosting provider and report the scam. https://who.is/

🛑 Block the Website

Browsers: Report it via Chrome, Firefox, Edge security settings.

Antivirus & Firewall: Add the website to your blocked list.

Ad Blockers: Some extensions allow blocking malicious sites manually.

If the website actively uses social media or advertises, you can also complain about it on social media and advertising platforms.

Check security in Google Safe Browsing:

https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search

Blacklisting check via MXToolbox:

https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx

... if you are working in Windows and some site asks you to first press Windows + R on your keyboard... Close this site and write to these scammers. The consequences will be very sad.

Over 20 Crypto Phishing Applications Found on the Play Store Stealing Mnemonic Phrases

https://cyble.com/blog/crypto-phishing-applications-on-the-play-store/

Website security rating from 0 to 100

screamingfrog.co.uk

What are Southeast Asia's scam centres, and why are they being dismantled?

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/what-are-southeast-asias-scam-centres-why-are-they-being-dismantled-2025-03-04/

Do not run files with apk extensions on smartphones;

Files with the .ipa extension are dangerous for iPhones;

while .dmg and .pkg files are dangerous for mac OS;

exe, msi, bat files on computers, unless you are 99% sure that they were sent by someone you know.

🚫🗑️ Spammy, deceptive, or low quality web pages [Report spam]

⚠️🦠 Malware [Report spam]

🎣🔐 Phishing [Report spam]

https://developers.google.com/search/help/report-quality-issues

________Scammers invent new ways to deceive people every day________

Most often, criminals use telephone fraud to make money illegally. The schemes vary, and to avoid falling into the scammers’ trap, it is important to follow certain rules.

One of the scams involves an unknown caller providing deliberately false information, claiming that a relative has been involved in a road accident or has committed a crime. The caller then offers to “solve the problem” if a certain amount of money is transferred.

Some people are informed that they have supposedly won a car or expensive household appliances. However, to receive the prize, they are also asked to transfer a certain sum of money.

Another common scheme involves people receiving SMS messages from a so-called “security service”, claiming that their bank card has been blocked. The victim is then told about a fake “technical problem” and is instructed to perform several operations to unblock the card. As a result, the money from the account is transferred to the scammers.

There is also a scam mainly targeting pensioners. Over the phone, criminals find out whether pensioners have previously bought medical products through network marketing or catalogues. After receiving a positive response, they claim that an investigation is underway against the suppliers and that the citizen is entitled to compensation for low-quality goods. To receive this “compensation”, they only need to pay a state fee of 20% of the total amount.

Experts stress that the best way to protect yourself is to ignore suspicious calls or messages. Do not share personal information with strangers. Critically evaluate any information you receive. If you do become a victim of fraud, immediately inform the police or submit an official fraud report.

In your statement, describe all the circumstances in detail: when and from which phone number the call or message was received, who called, what name, surname or position the person used, the details of the conversation or message, and any other relevant information.