What is tabnabbing? Stay safe online

What is tabnabbing,  the sneaky online scam every serial tab opener should know about

We’ve all been there, halfway through the day, you glance at your browser and realise you’ve got more tabs open than you can count. It’s just how we live online these days. But did you know that this innocent habit could actually put you at risk of a really sneaky cyberattack? It’s called tabnabbing, and it’s making a comeback.

What is tabnabbing, and why are police warning about it now?

You might not have heard the word before, but tabnabbing isn’t new—it’s just been quietly bubbling away in the background while we’ve all been bingeing on multitasking. Now, though, police are warning it’s back and more dangerous than ever, especially as we’re living more and more of our lives online.

So, what actually is it? Well, imagine you get a message or email with a link—maybe it looks interesting, maybe it’s just clickbait. You click it, nothing dramatic happens, and you move on with your day. Meanwhile, hidden in the background, that link might have just given a cybercriminal permission to change the content of one of your inactive tabs.

Let’s say you had your online banking or your email open in another tab. Next time you click back to it, you might see what looks like a perfectly normal login screen. But here’s the kicker—it’s fake. If you type in your password, you’re actually sending it straight to a scammer.

It’s sneaky because, honestly, who checks every single tab, every time? Most of us just trust what we see.

How to spot Tabnabbing and how to outsmart the scammers

If you’re now wondering how you’re supposed to avoid this sort of trick, you’re not alone. Cyber experts say the first line of defence is simply being a little bit more suspicious—especially if a tab that was already open suddenly wants your password again.

Here are a few things you can do to stay ahead of the game:

• Use two-factor authentication everywhere you can (yep, it’s a pain, but it works!). Even if someone does grab your password, they can’t get into your account without that extra code.
• Don’t recycle your passwords. If you use the same password for everything, a hacker only needs to get lucky once.
• Keep an eye on your tabs. If something looks off, even slightly—maybe the logo looks fuzzy or the web address is a bit weird—close that tab and log in afresh from the homepage.
• Stay curious! Check the National Cyber Security Centre or Police social media for fresh tips. These scams get updated all the time.

A quiet old scam that’s back for the digital age

Tabnabbing isn’t brand new; it was first spotted over a decade ago. But with everyone working, shopping, and socialising online, it’s got a second wind. Tech journalist Sefi García says it’s just a smarter version of classic phishing. Instead of trying to trick you with a dodgy email, scammers let you do the clicking and wait until you’re not paying attention.

Security pros say it’s all about layering up your defences. Eusebio Nieva from Check Point points out that even if you do slip up and hand over your password, two-factor authentication usually stops the bad guys at the door. And never—never!—reuse the same password on important sites. If one gets leaked, you don’t want to be handing out the master key to your digital life.

So, next time you catch yourself with fifteen tabs open, maybe have a quick scan through before you start typing in anything sensitive. A few seconds of caution can save you a world of hassle.

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