The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.
The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Excerpted from an undercover buy between a scammer and an FTC investigator. The scammer claims the investigator’s computer has a problem, but the warning messages he shows her appear on most computers and don’t mean that the computer is infected.