Is this link safe?

Scam texts and emails depend on one moment: you tap before you look closely. Paste the link here instead. The check runs in your browser and looks for the tricks scammers rely on. Nothing is opened, and nothing you paste is sent anywhere unless you choose to reveal where the link goes.

What it looks for

• The real website. Only the part right before the first slash decides where a link goes. In paypal.com.account-review.co, the real website is account-review.co.
• Look-alike names that swap letters for numbers or similar characters, like paypa1 or arnazon.
• A well-known name on a website that doesn't belong to that company.
• Raw IP addresses, links with an @ trick, and short links that hide the destination.

"Reveal where it goes"

Short links and redirects hide the final address. When you press the button, our server follows the link's redirects and shows each step, without opening the page on your device or downloading it. Links made for one person can include a code that tells the sender someone looked, so only reveal links you're curious about, and never sign in through them.

Limits

No checker can prove a link is safe. A brand-new scam site can look clean, and real companies sometimes use odd links. If a message asks you to act quickly, sign in, or pay, go to the company's website or app yourself instead. Want practice? Try today's round of Spot the scam.