You probably hear a lot about financial malware.

If you haven’t, you should read about it and know that it can use many insidious tactics to trick you.

Here are some of the elements you should check before making an online transaction, to ensure that cyber criminals don’t steal your card details:

1. Check is the website uses encryption (the padlock symbol) and uses https. This means you data is transmitted safely to and from the bank’s servers.

2. Check if the URL is correct and doesn’t include any typos. If you’re unsure of how the official website looks like (it may be your first time), do a quick Google search and verify the information.

3. Check if there are any unusual or extra fields added to your usual login steps. No bank will ever ask you for your address or card number or, worse, for your PIN in the login process. If you see anything out of place, leave the website, contact the bank and see how you can safely conclude the transaction.

4. Check if the logo and other elements are fuzzy, because sometimes cyber criminals use elements they can find on the web to mimic the appearance of a legitimate online banking website. Do a Google search of the official websites and compare them. If you find something strange, contact the bank and report it.

Additionally, you can check the footer of the website and see if there is any legitimate information on the bank, such as company details, locations and so on. The more information, written professionally and that can be verified, the safer you’ll know you are.