How Our Trust Score Works
Every website we check is given a trust score out of 100. This page explains exactly how that number is produced, what it is based on, and what it cannot tell you. If you disagree with a score, our corrections policy explains how to ask us to review it.
How we collect and check reports
- Public complaint data first. Complaint counts come from the FTC's public Do Not Call complaint data and FCC consumer complaints. For each number I store how many complaints were filed, when, and what the calls were about.
- Readers add what happened. Readers share their own experiences through comments on this site, Facebook and Instagram. These add the details complaint data leaves out, such as what the caller said and what they asked for. For websites we also check domain registration and SSL certificate data, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center's public alerts.
- Search engines see only what holds up. A number page is indexed by search engines only when a real person has shared their experience with it. Every reader comment and report is reviewed before it appears.
- Caller ID can be faked. A reported number may not belong to the person who called. If a number is yours and a report is wrong, contact us and we will review it.
We never publish anyone's name, username or messages without their permission. See our privacy policy.
How the score is calculated
Every website starts at 100 points. Points are then deducted for each risk signal we can verify.
Domain age
Registered less than 30 days ago deducts 35 points. Less than 6 months deducts 20 points. Less than a year deducts 8 points. Over a year is treated as a positive signal and deducts nothing. If the registration date cannot be verified at all, 12 points are deducted, because an unverifiable record is itself a weak signal.
SSL certificate
A valid certificate deducts nothing. No valid certificate deducts 20 points.
Complaint reports on file
Each report on file deducts 6 points, capped at 45 points in total. The cap exists so that a single coordinated complaint campaign cannot drive a score to zero on its own.
What the bands mean
- 70 to 100, Looks Safe: few or no risk signals were found.
- 40 to 69, Use Caution: one or more risk signals were found. Check the website another way before you pay or share details.
- 0 to 39, High Risk: several strong risk signals were found.
A trust score is not a verdict. These bands summarize the signals above. They do not prove that a website is legitimate or that the people behind it have committed fraud.
How often it updates
A score is recalculated when a website is checked and the stored result has expired, and again whenever a new report about that website is approved. The date of the most recent check is shown on each report page.
What this score cannot tell you
A low score does not prove that anyone has broken the law. A high score does not guarantee a website is safe, because a brand new scam site can have clean registration and a valid certificate on its first day. The absence of reports means only that nobody has reported it to us yet. Domain and certificate data can be incomplete or out of date at the source, and we reproduce what those sources publish.
Treat the score as one input into your own judgement, not as a substitute for it. If you have already lost money, our emergency guide lists the steps that matter most in the first hour.