How We Score Websites

Our scam detection system analyzes multiple signals to protect you from fraudulent websites.

Understanding Risk Scores

Every website gets a score from 0 to 100 based on detected warning signs

LOW
0-25

Site appears safe with minimal warning signs

MEDIUM
26-50

Some warning signs detected. Proceed with caution

HIGH
51-75

Multiple red flags. Not recommended

CRITICAL
76-100

Strong scam indicators. Avoid this site

How We Calculate Scores

Each detected warning signal has a severity level. Multiple signals combine to produce the final risk score. Critical issues have the strongest impact on the overall assessment.

What We Check For

Brand Impersonation
Critical

Detects fake websites pretending to be legitimate brands.

Example: drmartenssouthafrica.com is not the official Dr. Martens site
Checks: Domain similarity, typosquatting, brand + country combinations
Parked Domains
Critical

Identifies domains that are for sale or not actively used.

Red flags: "Domain for sale", "Parked free", "Get this domain"
Impact: Heavily weighted in risk assessment
Domain Age
Critical/High

New domains are often used for scams. We check registration date.

Critical: Domain less than 30 days old
High: Domain less than 6 months old
SSL Certificate
Critical/High

Checks if the site has valid HTTPS encryption.

Critical: Expired SSL certificate
High: No SSL certificate found
Suspicious Domain Extension
High

Certain domain extensions are commonly used for scams.

Examples: .tk, .ml, .ga, .cf, .gq, .top, .win, .bid, .loan
Impact: High risk indicator
Homograph Attacks
Critical

Detects Unicode characters that look like regular letters.

Example: Using Cyrillic "а" instead of Latin "a" to trick users
Impact: Heavily weighted in risk assessment
Short Registration Period
Medium

Scammers often register domains for short periods.

Alert: Domain expires within 30 days
Impact: Moderate risk indicator
WHOIS Privacy Protection
Low

Hidden domain ownership information (common but worth noting).

Note: Many legitimate sites use privacy protection
Impact: Minor consideration
Online Reviews
Low

Checks for presence of customer reviews and ratings.

Low impact: No reviews found
Higher impact: Reviews with rating below 2.0/5.0
Our Mission

Online shopping should be safe for everyone. We built this tool to help you identify fraudulent websites before you share your personal information or payment details.

Our system continuously evolves to detect new scam patterns and protect you from emerging threats. However, always use your best judgment and be cautious when shopping online.

Stay Safe Online

  • Always check the URL carefully before entering payment information
  • Look for HTTPS and a padlock icon in your browser
  • Be suspicious of deals that seem too good to be true
  • Research unfamiliar online stores before making a purchase