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Check If a Website Is Legit or a Scam
Use our free fake website checker to review a suspicious link before you log in, pay or share information. See a phishing risk score and the signals behind it. A low score is not a safety guarantee.
Check a website or suspicious link for free
Paste a website address or suspicious link. You do not need to open the website first.
Website check result
Signals behind this result
A low score is not a guarantee that a website or business is legitimate. Check the seller and payment terms independently.
What this website checker checks
NetArmature’s automated checker returns a phishing risk score and the signals contributing to that result. Depending on the address and available data, it may examine how recently a domain was registered, whether a shortener hides the destination, lookalike brand names, unusual URL patterns, hosting characteristics and redirects between domains. Each listed signal says whether it increased or reduced the score; an unlisted signal was not necessarily checked or found safe.
This checks for patterns associated with phishing. It does not verify a business’s identity, guarantee an order will arrive or prove that a website is safe. NetArmature maintains this checker; contact us with questions or a result that seems incorrect.
How to interpret your results
- 0–29: Low risk. The checker found no strong phishing signal in its score. Continue checking the business independently.
- 30–59: Caution. Review the reported signals before entering information or paying.
- 60–100: High risk. Strong phishing signals were detected. Avoid submitting sensitive details and verify the address through an independent source.
Every result, including low risk, is an indicator rather than a verdict or a percentage probability of fraud. For example, an illustrative score of 45/100 falls in the caution range; it does not mean a 45% chance of a scam. A young domain alone does not prove fraud, and an older domain can still be compromised.
If a check fails or information is unavailable, treat the result as unknown. Try again later and use the manual checks below. If you already entered a password or payment details, change the password on the genuine site or contact your payment provider through its official channel.
How to tell if a website is legitimate
When you ask “is this website legit?”, start with the complete web address rather than the page design. A fake website can copy a real brand, use HTTPS and look professional. Check the domain spelling, the company behind it and the way it asks you to pay or share information.
- Compare the domain with the company’s official address. Watch for extra words, swapped letters, unusual subdomains and lookalike characters.
- Find the company independently and confirm its contact details, policies and reputation. Do not treat reviews shown only on the site as verification.
- Be careful with urgent messages, unusually low prices, requests for gift cards or cryptocurrency, and payment pages that redirect to an unrelated domain.
- Use this fake website checker as an early website safety check, then confirm the business and payment terms through an independent source before you log in, pay or upload documents.
Signs a website might be fake
- Very new domain. A recently registered domain deserves closer inspection, especially when the business claims a long history. Domain age alone does not establish legitimacy.
- No verifiable contact information. No physical address, no working phone number, only a contact form.
- Prices too good to be true. Especially for travel, electronics, or rentals.
- Pressure to act immediately. Countdown timers, "only 2 left," or urgency that discourages you from checking further.
- Payment methods a real business wouldn't ask for. Wire transfer, gift cards, or crypto as the only options.
- The domain doesn't match the brand. A site claiming to be a major company on an unrelated or misspelled domain.
- HTTPS is not proof of legitimacy. Encryption protects the connection; fraudulent websites can use HTTPS too.
How to check if a website is legit
- Look up the domain's registration date (a WHOIS/RDAP lookup, or let NetArmature do it automatically).
- Search the business or site name together with the word "scam" or "reviews" in a search engine.
- Check whether the site links to real, active social media accounts — not just icons that go nowhere.
- Look for a genuine privacy policy and terms of service, not generic placeholder text.
- If in doubt, check the website’s URL above before entering any information.
Related checks
A fake website is often just one piece of a bigger scam — depending on what you found it through:
Questions about checking website legitimacy
What's the fastest way to check if a website is fake?
Paste its address into the checker above, then review the risk score and reported signals. Confirm the business’s contact details and reputation independently before paying or sharing information.
Can a fake website look completely real?
Yes. A fraudulent website can copy branding, polished design and HTTPS. Check the address, business identity and payment terms rather than relying on appearance alone.
Is this fake website checker free?
You can submit a website address using the free checker on this page. The result is an automated phishing risk assessment, not a guarantee of legitimacy.
What if I already entered information on a suspicious website?
Stop interacting with the site. If you shared a password, change it through the genuine service and enable multi-factor authentication. If you paid or shared card details, contact your payment provider through its official channels.