How to spot a fake McAfee SECURE trustmark

Any merchant that subscribes to the McAfee SECURE™ service has their site tested daily by McAfee for a variety of vulnerabilities. When that merchant’s site passes these tests, it is eligible to display the McAfee SECURE trustmark on that site.

Some sites that do not subscribe to the McAfee SECURE service try to fool consumers by placing a copy of the trustmark on their website in order to give the appearance of security. This practice is called “Scrapping.”

Look for clues, then confirm

Don’t be fooled by the scammers. Protect yourself by following these simple steps when purchasing online:

  • Real McAfee SECURE trustmarks are “live” and will show today’s date.
  • But remember that some scammers go through the trouble of making daily updates to their fake seals.
  • Real McAfee SECURE trustmarks can be clicked and will take you to the subscribing merchant’s verification page.
  • Some scammers will have their fake seals link to www.mcafee.com. This might seem normal, but it’s not the way the McAfee SECURE service works.
  • Real McAfee SECURE verification pages will include the subscribing merchant’s name.
  • Make sure the company names match. A real McAfee SECURE trustmark will always click through to the proper verification page.
McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
Help us help you: report trustmark abuse

McAfee® works hard to help protect you, but you can help us and your fellow web users by reporting unauthorized use of the McAfee SECURE trustmark by sending us an email.