Public can now report scam websites direct to the NCSC

A new reporting tool has been made available for the general public who come across scam websites.

The National Cyber Security Centre’s new website reporting tool allows people to send them a link from websites which they think are trying to scam the public, regardless of how they got to the site.

The NCSC – which is a part of GCHQ – then analyses the site, and if found to be malicious a notice may be issued to the hosting provider for the site to be removed, preventing members of the public falling victim in future.

The NCSC has previously highlighted the problem of scam websites, including fake news pages where celebrities such as Sir Richard Branson appear to be endorsing investment schemes. Links to these pages were subsequently removed by the NCSC.

The website reporting tool is the latest way in which the public can help the NCSC counter online scams. Last year, the NCSC created the pioneering Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) where the public can forward suspected scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

If the emails are found to contain links to malicious websites, they will then be taken down by the service, which has received more than 6.5million reports of malicious emails and resulted in the takedown of 50,500 online scams since its launch in April 2020.

The new website reporting tool means that the public can now not only report suspect emails but also websites which they think might be fake and attempting to scam the public.

NCSC Technical Director Dr Ian Levy yesterday said:

“We’ve had an overwhelming response to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service and we want the public to continue helping us tackle cyber criminals.

“We are excited to launch our new website reporting tool, which will allow people to report fake websites directly to us.

“With this tool, we’ll be able to request the take down of even more malicious content online and therefore protect more people from scams and fraudsters.”

Phishing: how to report to the NCSC