How to Check If a Website Link Is Safe

Quick answer: check before opening

Do not open a link just because it looks familiar. Scammers can copy brand names, use short links, hide links behind buttons, or make a fake page look like a bank, delivery company, toll road, myGov, Microsoft, Google or online shop.

Paste the link into the Suspicious Link Checker only if it is safe to copy. Do not enter passwords or one-time codes into the linked page.

Warning signs in a link

• The message is urgent: unpaid toll, delivery fee, refund, account locked, final notice or security alert.
• The link uses a shortener or a domain that is close to a real brand but not quite right.
• The page asks for passwords, card details, identity documents, banking codes or remote access.
• The link came from SMS, a QR code, a marketplace message, a popup, or an email you were not expecting.

Safer link habit

Open the official app or type the address yourself instead of using the message link. For banking, use your banking app. For delivery or tolls, use the provider website or app you opened yourself.

If the message is from a person you know, call them using a saved number before trusting a new link. Their account or phone number may have been copied or compromised.

If you already clicked

Stop entering details. Close the page. If you entered passwords, banking details, card details, codes or downloaded anything, use the recovery helper and contact the right service quickly.