What you must… NEVER CLICK ONLINE

Don’t get caught and scammed by the web’s latest mouse traps. Wayne Williams reveals all the things you should avoid clicking and tapping on the web, and explains how to spot them

- Wayne Williams

The way that the worldwide web was conceived and is structured means you won’t get far without clicking on anything (or tapping, if you’re using a touchscreen). Unfortunately, for all the wonderful websites you can access with your mouse (or finger), there are lots of things you should keep your cursor well away from, unless you want to infect your PC with malware, hand over personal data to scammers, flood your inbox with spam or even end up in prison. Sadly, such ‘mouse traps’ are becoming increasingly widespread, and the tricks they use to lure you into compromising your privacy and security grow ever more devious.

In this feature, we highlight the dangers, risks and traps that lurk on the web, hidden behind innocuous-looking links, buttons, tick boxes and more, and explain how to spot them and avoid clicking yourself into trouble. We also explain how ‘dark patterns’ can sneakily influence the actions you take on the web.

SECURITY RISKS

Fake download buttons

Some download sites – and many online file hosts – display adverts that are sneakily designed to look like download buttons. These are usually big, bright and eye catching, and if you’re not paying proper attention, there’s a good chance you’ll click one of them instead of the real download link.

What’s the risk?

Instead of downloading the file you want, you’ll be taken to another site where you may be tricked into downloading malicious software or entering personal details to “unlock access” to your file.

How to avoid them