A suspicious link is best checked without opening it: inspect the destination if your email or browser shows it, and verify unexpected requests through a website or phone number you already know is genuine. Treat shortened links, mismatched destinations, urgency, and requests for sensitive information as reasons to pause—not as proof on their own. No visual clue or security tool can guarantee a URL is safe.
What makes a URL suspicious?
A link can be deceptive even when its visible text looks familiar. Google warns that a mismatch between a link’s address and its description might lead to a phishing site. The address shown by a message can also differ from where the link eventually takes you if it redirects.
- The destination does not match the visible words. For example, text that appears to point to a company’s official site may lead somewhere else. A mismatch is a warning; a match alone does not prove the link is legitimate. Google’s phishing guidance explains how to inspect links on a computer.
- The link is shortened and the destination is unclear. CISA lists untrusted shortened URLs among common phishing signs. Shortening by itself does not establish that a link is malicious, but it conceals information you would otherwise use to assess the destination. CISA’s Phishing Tip Sheet identifies this warning sign.
- The message creates pressure or asks for sensitive information. Unexpected claims about account trouble, payment problems, suspicious activity, invoices, or suspension can be designed to make you act before checking. The FTC’s phishing guidance describes these common lures.
Consider the message and the destination together. A link that appears ordinary can still be unsafe, and an unfamiliar or shortened link can have a legitimate purpose. When an unexpected message asks you to act, verify the request independently rather than relying on the link or contact details in that message.
How to check a link without clicking it
On a computer, inspect the destination
- Pause before following an unexpected link, especially if the message demands urgent action or asks you to confirm personal or financial details.
- Hover your pointer over the link without clicking. Read the full destination displayed by the email or browser interface.
- Compare that address with the visible link text and the organization the message claims to represent. A mismatch is a warning, but a matching address is not a guarantee.
- If the link asks for a password or other credentials, do not enter them through the message. Open the organization’s site directly using an address you already know or its official app.
On a phone, use a known route instead
There is no single preview gesture documented for every mobile messaging app. If you cannot confidently inspect an unexpected link, do not open it. Instead, go to the organization through its official app, a saved bookmark, or an address you already know is genuine. If you need to confirm that a message came from someone you know, contact them through a separate channel.
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How to handle shortened and redirected links
A shortened URL hides the destination in the text you can see. A redirect can send you onward to a different address after you follow the link. That means the first URL alone may not tell you where the journey ends.
For an unexpected or suspicious link, the safest approach is not to follow it in order to find out where it leads. The official guidance cited here does not provide a universal, risk-free procedure for revealing every redirect destination without contacting the link. Avoid casually pasting private or sensitive links into third-party expansion or checking sites; the cited official sources do not endorse a particular service for that purpose.
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Instead, verify the request with the sender through another channel or use the organization’s known official website or phone number. Do not rely on a sender name, phone number, or other contact link supplied in the suspicious message.
What browser warnings can—and cannot—tell you
Chrome’s Safe Browsing settings add a layer of protection, but a warning should be treated as a reason to stop, and the absence of a warning is not proof that a link is legitimate. Google describes the settings this way in its Chrome Safe Browsing documentation:
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- Standard protection: warns about dangers Google identifies.
- Enhanced protection: can also warn about potential new dangers. Google says the choice affects what browsing data is sent, as described in its documentation.
Neither setting guarantees that every phishing URL will be detected. Keep the same verification habits even when your browser shows no warning.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you already clicked or shared information
If you entered a password or account details
Contact the service using its official app, known website, or another trusted channel—not the message link. Change the affected password and secure the account; enable multi-factor authentication if it is available. If you exposed Social Security, bank, or credit card information, the FTC directs people to IdentityTheft.gov for situation-specific recovery steps.
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If the click may have downloaded harmful software
Update your security software, run a scan, and remove any threats it finds, following the software’s instructions. The FTC recommends these steps when clicking a phishing link may have downloaded malware.
Report the message
- Forward a suspicious email to reportphishing@apwg.org.
- Forward a suspicious text to SPAM (7726).
- Report the attempt to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The FTC’s phishing guidance provides these reporting routes and recovery steps.
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