Criminals impersonate. That is what they do. They pretend they are your bank, your stock broker, your trusted friend, your Mom😲. But they are not. Sites displaying the above symbols in their addresses are safer than others with the old "HTTP" designation without the "s". As the FBI explains , however, these sites are not absolutely trustworthy and secure😞. Criminals are using this symbolism to give you a false sense of security. Here's a copy of the FBI statement: →Local FBI Field Office Locations ⇉File Complaint⇇ (put "HTTPS phishing" in the body) With a tip of the hat for this announcement to DarkReading