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Public methodology · Instant URL Check

How we score website risk.

The $2 report turns current, publicly observable signals into a 0–100 risk score, a cautious verdict, five prioritized findings, and practical next steps.

Important: A score is a risk assessment, not the probability that a site is fraudulent. It is not a certification, legal conclusion, endorsement, or guarantee.

Five evidence categories

What the report examines.

Each report looks for warning signs and reassuring context. Findings must be tied to public evidence available during the check; one weak clue should not be treated like several independent, corroborating signals.

  1. Domain history

    Registration age, public history, address structure, and whether the domain fits the identity the site presents.

    How it is interpreted: A very recent registration, an unrelated domain, or abrupt identity changes may increase concern. An older domain is reassuring context, but never proof of safety.

  2. Identity and impersonation

    Consistency between the domain, branding, claimed organization, contact details, and known official channels.

    How it is interpreted: Misspellings, copied branding, mismatched business details, and lookalike addresses can indicate impersonation.

  3. Fake-store patterns

    Public storefront signals such as copied listings, implausible discounts, conflicting policies, and inconsistent business information.

    How it is interpreted: Several related patterns matter more than one awkward phrase or a single low price viewed alone.

  4. Phishing markers

    Credential prompts, urgent language, unexpected downloads, unrelated destinations, and requests that do not fit the claimed purpose.

    How it is interpreted: A login or verification request is weighed against where it leads and whether the request is expected.

  5. Payment red flags

    Checkout claims, payment changes, and pressure toward methods with weak or no buyer protection.

    How it is interpreted: Unexpected bank transfer, cryptocurrency, gift-card, or off-platform payment demands can raise risk.

Full-report scoring

What score boundaries mean.

The paid report uses three published bands. The score reflects the relevance, strength, freshness, and convergence of the evidence—not a simple count of flags and not a percentage chance of fraud.

Score 029

Safe

No major scam indicators were identified in the public signals reviewed. This is a lower-risk snapshot, not an approval or guarantee.

Score 3069

Suspicious

One or more signals need independent verification before you sign in, pay, download, or share information.

Score 70100

Likely scam

The strength or convergence of observed signals indicates high risk. Stop and verify through a trusted independent channel.

Scores near a boundary need care. A site at 29 is not proven safe, and a site at 30 is not proven fraudulent. New or corrected evidence can move a result within or between bands.

Point-in-time assessment

What the check cannot see.

What is assessed

Public signals that can be observed when the check runs, including selected pages, domain and identity context, visible prompts, store patterns, and available payment information.

The report records that moment. It does not continuously revisit the site after delivery.

What may remain hidden

  • Private systems, every page, or content behind a login
  • Personalized redirects, messages, or location-specific behavior
  • What a seller does after payment or outside the website
  • A future compromise, ownership change, or newly added threat
  • Facts that are unavailable, misleading, or not publicly visible

Scam Detective does not provide continuous monitoring, real-time feeds or an API, takedown execution, fund recovery, or legal advice.

A lower-risk result

Why Safe is not a guarantee.

Safe means “no major indicator found.”

It means the public signals reviewed did not show strong scam indicators at that time. It does not mean Scam Detective approved, certified, or guaranteed the website.

A legitimate domain can be compromised. A lookalike link can lead somewhere else. A dishonest person can misuse a real platform. A checkout or request can change after the check.

Keep checking the context

Confirm the exact address independently, question urgency or unexpected changes, and use a payment method with buyer protection.

Act on new warning signs

Pause if the domain, requested information, payment method, contact details, or offer differs from what you expected—even after a Safe result.

Check before you trust it.

Start with one public signal for free. The complete 0–100 report is an optional one-time $2 purchase after the preview.

Check a website free

No account or card for the preview. No subscription.