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Do not open an unfamiliar AI or crypto link simply because the message, advertisement, logo, or search result looks convincing. First verify the source, inspect the complete hostname, locate the service’s official domain through a trusted channel, and stop before entering credentials, downloading files, or connecting a crypto wallet. Registration lookups can add context, but no public lookup can certify that a site is safe.
The safest default: pause, then verify independently
An unexpected link can lead to phishing, malware, a fake login page, or a cryptocurrency wallet drainer. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises contacting an organization through a website address or phone number you already know is genuine instead of using the link in an unsolicited message. This applies whether the link arrived by email, text, direct message, an online advertisement, or a social-media post.
Use this rule when the link asks you to resolve an urgent warning, claim a reward, continue an account session, download an AI tool, or connect a wallet: do not use the link to verify the message. Open a trusted bookmark, the organization’s official app, or a known contact page and start there.
Why an AI or crypto domain can look genuine
Attackers can copy a brand’s colors, wording, sign-in form, and support messages. A malicious advertisement can appear above legitimate search results, and a compromised legitimate website can redirect visitors through a system that shows different destinations to different people. The FBI has warned that these redirection systems and fraudulent advertisements can make a dangerous link look ordinary.
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A familiar brand name anywhere in a URL is not proof of ownership. A scammer can put that name in a subdomain, add or remove characters, or register a lookalike domain. A page that loads normally, uses a familiar logo, or displays a browser lock icon does not establish that you are dealing with the intended operator.
Step 1: assess how the link reached you
Unexpected or urgent delivery
Treat an unsolicited “account suspended,” “security alert,” “limited mint,” “bonus,” or “claim now” message as untrusted until you verify it elsewhere. Urgency is designed to prevent the careful check that would expose a bad address. Do not click merely to see whether the warning is real.
Advertisements and search results
A sponsored result or a high-ranking page can still be fraudulent. The FBI’s June 18, 2026 public-service announcement specifically advised checking an advertisement’s URL before clicking because criminals can use malicious advertising and search-engine manipulation to imitate legitimate destinations.
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A compromised account can send a convincing message to its contacts. If a friend, colleague, or project account sends an unexpected AI or crypto link, confirm it through a separate channel. Do not rely on the sender name, profile picture, or a reply in the same conversation.
Step 2: inspect the complete hostname before opening it
Expand the link or copy it without visiting the page, then read the hostname from right to left. Your goal is to identify the registered domain—the name actually registered with a domain registry—and distinguish it from any subdomain placed before it.
| Address pattern | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
https://login.example-ai.test/account |
example-ai.test is the registered domain in this illustrative address; login is a subdomain. |
Confirm that the registered domain is the one you independently found. |
https://example-ai.test.security-check.example/ |
The registered domain is security-check.example; the familiar-looking text is only a subdomain. |
Do not treat the brand string at the left as ownership evidence. |
https://examp1e-ai.test/ |
A character has been altered. Lookalike domains often add, omit, or replace characters. | Compare every character with the independently verified address. |
https://example-ai.test/redirect?id=... |
The visible domain may send you elsewhere after the page loads. | Be cautious if the destination changes or the link does not behave as expected. |
Check for misspellings, extra words, unnecessary punctuation, and a brand name that appears only before another registered domain. Read the address in the browser’s full address bar rather than relying on shortened display text. If you cannot determine which part is the registered domain, close the tab and verify through an official channel instead of guessing.
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Step 3: find the official domain without using the suspicious link
- Open a bookmark you created previously, the service’s official mobile or desktop app, or documentation you obtained before the message arrived.
- Use a phone number or support address already stored in your records. Do not copy contact details from the suspicious message.
- Compare the independently obtained domain character by character with the link you received.
- If the service has official social accounts, use an account you can verify through an established channel and follow its published website link. A cloned account or post is not independent proof.
- Type the verified domain yourself or save it as a bookmark for future access. Do not keep using an unverified search advertisement.
Search can help you discover a service, but the first result is not an authenticity guarantee. Fraudulent ads and search manipulation can place a fake destination where you expect the real one. Search for the organization’s known support page, then confirm the address using another trusted reference.
Step 4: treat redirects as a warning, not a technical detail
After a click, the address may change several times. The FBI has documented campaigns in which compromised sites and advertising systems route visitors through different destinations depending on the visitor or campaign. A link that reroutes to an unexpected domain, repeatedly refreshes, or lands on a generic page instead of the stated service deserves investigation.
- Do not enter a password while a redirect chain is still changing the address.
- Do not assume that a final page is safe because the first domain looked familiar.
- If a link fails and then sends you to a “main” page, compare that final address with the official domain you found independently.
- Close the tab if the behavior is confusing, especially when the page requests a download, login, payment, or wallet connection.
Step 5: use ICANN Lookup or RDAP only as supporting evidence
ICANN Lookup and the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) can show current domain-registration data. RDAP is ICANN’s current standardized protocol and was designed as the eventual replacement for WHOIS. A lookup may help you compare a domain’s registration details with what an organization publicly claims, but it does not authenticate the site operator or inspect the safety of the pages served from the domain.
| Lookup result | What you can reasonably infer | What you cannot infer |
|---|---|---|
| Recent registration date | The domain has limited registration history. | That it is fraudulent, or that an older domain is safe. |
| Privacy-protected registrant | Personal or organizational details are hidden from the public record. | That the operator is either legitimate or malicious. |
| Sparse or incomplete record | Public registration data is limited. | That the website’s content, code, or payment flow has been verified. |
| Details that resemble a known organization | Some registration fields appear consistent. | That the site is controlled by that organization; registrants can provide inaccurate information. |
ICANN states that it is not responsible for verifying the user details in an RDAP profile. Use registration data to add context after you have inspected the hostname and source, never as a green light to proceed.
Step 6: match the requested action to its potential consequence
Viewing a page is not the same risk as giving it an account password or authorizing a financial transaction. Decide what the link is asking you to do before continuing.
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| Requested action | Potential consequence | Minimum verification |
|---|---|---|
| Read an article or documentation | Exposure to deceptive content or a follow-on download. | Verify the registered domain and stop if redirects are unexpected. |
| Sign in | Credential theft and possible reuse against other accounts. | Open the service from an independently verified bookmark or app; never submit credentials to an unverified page. |
| Enter payment details | Unauthorized charges or financial-account exposure. | Confirm the domain and the organization through a known contact path. |
| Download software or a browser extension | Malware, data theft, or unwanted system changes. | Obtain the software from a trusted official distribution channel and scan it with current security software. |
| Connect a crypto wallet | Exposure of wallet assets and deceptive transaction requests. | Independently verify the project’s official account and exact domain before any connection. |
| Sign a transaction | A blockchain transaction may transfer assets or grant permissions that are difficult to reverse. | Understand exactly what the wallet displays; cancel if the request is unexpected or unclear. |
Crypto domains require an extra verification layer
Verify the project, account, and domain separately
The FBI’s August 4, 2023 warning says: “When accessing websites that request you connect your cryptocurrency wallet, look to see if the website is real and not a clone of the legitimate website.” Use an independently verified project account or official documentation to obtain the domain, then compare the complete hostname before connecting anything.
Recognize clone and drainer patterns
Fraudsters have cloned NFT project accounts and built spoofed sites that prompt visitors to connect wallets to drainer contracts. Warning signs include a misspelled domain, additional or unnecessary URL characters, a link that does not work as expected, or a link that reroutes to a main page. A surprise mint, unsolicited reward, or “limited supply” offer is especially risky when it creates pressure to act immediately.
Stop before the wallet prompt
- Confirm the project’s real account through a channel you already trust.
- Obtain the exact website address from that account or from established project documentation.
- Open the address directly and compare the hostname character by character.
- Read the wallet prompt and transaction details. If the requested permission, recipient, amount, or contract is not clear, reject it.
- Never enter a seed phrase or private key into a website. Close the page when a site asks for either.
A wallet connection is not a harmless login. Treat it as a financial authorization step, and do not proceed merely because a social post promises a free claim.
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No AI-specific domain-safety standard changes the basic process. An AI site may target account credentials, API keys, uploaded documents, payment details, or software downloads rather than a wallet. Verify the registered domain and source before using any of those features.
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- Be cautious of “free access” links that require a browser extension, desktop installer, or special security component.
- Confirm that a sign-in page belongs to the service you intended to use, not merely to a page that copies its branding.
- If an AI service asks you to connect another account, open that account in a separate trusted tab rather than following an embedded authorization link.
The absence of a crypto wallet request does not make a domain trustworthy; it only changes the likely consequence of a mistake.
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A practical stop-or-proceed decision checklist
Proceed only when every applicable check has a satisfactory answer:
- Do I know why I received this link, and was the request expected?
- Did I obtain the organization’s domain independently rather than trusting the message or advertisement?
- Does the registered domain exactly match the independently verified address?
- Is the brand name anything more than a subdomain or a word embedded in a longer address?
- Did the page avoid unexplained redirects, pop-ups, downloads, or urgent demands?
- Am I being asked for a password, payment details, confidential data, wallet connection, or transaction signature?
- Can I explain exactly what will happen after I submit the information or approve the request?
If any answer is no or uncertain, close the tab and investigate through a trusted channel. Uncertainty is a reason to stop, not a reason to test the site with real credentials or funds.
What to do after clicking a suspicious link
If you only opened the page
Close the tab and do not download files, enter information, or approve prompts. Update your security software and run a scan, as the FTC recommends after a suspicious click. Continue monitoring the device for unusual behavior.
If you entered a password
From the service’s independently verified website, change the password immediately. Change it anywhere else you reused it, and review active sessions and account-recovery settings. Enable multifactor authentication where available. The FTC notes that a hardware security key is one possible MFA factor and that MFA makes it harder for a scammer to use a stolen username and password; MFA does not make the suspicious domain legitimate.
If you shared financial information
Contact the bank, card issuer, or payment provider using the number on a statement or card. Follow its process for blocking transactions, replacing credentials, and monitoring the account. Use identity-theft recovery steps appropriate to the information exposed.
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If you connected a wallet or signed a transaction
Stop interacting with the site. Review the wallet’s activity from a trusted wallet interface, consider moving remaining assets to a secure wallet when appropriate, and seek advice from the wallet or chain’s established support channels. Do not return to the suspicious page to “verify” or revoke anything if doing so would require another unknown prompt.
If you received the link by email or text
Report phishing to ReportFraud.ftc.gov, forward suspicious texts to SPAM (7726), and forward phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, following the FTC’s reporting guidance. Preserve the message and full address as evidence, but do not continue opening the link.
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What public checks cannot prove
No single signal settles the question. A new domain is not automatically malicious; an old domain can be compromised. A privacy-protected registration record is not proof of fraud; a visible registrant name is not proof of honesty. Search position, a polished design, HTTPS, a familiar logo, and a successful page load all provide less assurance than an independently verified hostname and a sensible request.
Threat campaigns also change quickly. A domain can be clean when first registered and later compromised, or it can send different visitors to different destinations. Recheck the address whenever you are asked to perform a high-consequence action, even if you used the service safely before.
The short version
Do not follow an unexpected AI or crypto link to find out whether it is genuine. Verify the organization independently, read the full hostname from right to left, identify the registered domain, treat redirects and advertisements skeptically, and use RDAP only as background context. For crypto sites, independently verify the project and exact domain before connecting a wallet or signing anything. When in doubt, close the page; if you already clicked or shared information, scan the device, secure affected accounts, contact financial providers, and report the phishing attempt.
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