[mr_mitm]

It's not just the elderly generation though. Young people mostly use apps and might barely interact with an actual browser. Big browsers de-emphasize the URL bar more and more. Yes, you and I and probably everyone on HN will never have a problem with this, but significant portions of the population will. I think it's a hard problem.

[ndriscoll]

For .gov, gov.uk, etc. specifically, it's not that hard of a problem. You can't sign up for those TLDs if you're not a government, so browsers could decorate the URL bar for them. Then you just need to teach people e.g. that the URL bar should turn green whenever interacting with any government, and governments at all levels should use these restricted domains.

You could do a similar thing with banks. Require them to use a .bank TLD (or .bank.us, .bank.uk, etc.), only let actual, regulated banks register them, and give them special decorations. Use eminent domain if those domains are already taken.

Unlike EV cert validation, it would actually mean something if you restricted decorations to specific known regulated groups.

[jonas21]

Isn't the simple solution to this to encourage everyone to use the USPS app (and apps for banking, etc.)? Most young people probably do this already.

[jddj]

This just moves the mimicry to the app stores. Admittedly there's some curation but it's far from perfect

[riehwvfbk]

Just to be clear, the two options in this false equivalence are "no fake USPS app has ever been seen, though it is possible in theory" vs "scam websites see as much traffic as USPS itself".

[jddj]

The first result in my region when I type usps into the google play store is a sponsored result for an app called Parcel Tracker, by internet media. The visible reviews for this app are negative citing scamminess.

If I search for whatsapp, in the sponsored section there are 10+ apps with white speech-bubble style icons on green backgrounds that aren't WhatsApp

[Cthulhu_]

That isn't actually simple though.