Security Review

Is listverse.com legit or a scam?

Our verdict:Safe· 94/100

Listverse is a highly established entertainment site with a 19-year history and no evidence of malware or consumer fraud.

listverse.comScanned 2h ago
0
Trust score
SAFE
Heuristics 99·MT 92
View density

Analysis Summary

Threat Intelligence
0/92
All engines report clean
Domain Age
19 years old
Registered Jun 29, 2007
MT Intelligence
Safe
Low likelihood · 95% confidence
SAFE

No threats detected

All checks passed. This site appears legitimate — but always stay alert for phishing even on trusted domains.

Website Preview

Screenshot of listverse.com
LIVE RENDER
listverse.com

Automated page render — captured in a safe sandbox. What an ordinary visitor would see when loading the site. See full visual analysis →

Visual Screenshot Analysis

We capture a fresh screenshot of the live page and ask a vision model to look for scam visual patterns — fake trust badges, countdown timers, overlay pop-ups, and visual clones of legitimate brands.

0
/ 100
No visual red flags

No scam visual patterns detected

The website appears to be a legitimate informational or entertainment listicle site with a professional design and standard editorial features.

Visual risk0/100

What our vision model saw

5 signals

Professional editorial layout with consistent branding and navigation

Content consists of standard informational articles with author bylines

No fake trust badges or urgency tactics detected

Functional navigation menu and search interface

Design quality is high with no broken elements or placeholder text

MT Intelligence

Advanced threat intelligence
MT Security Analyst
Low scam likelihoodengineMT · Guardiantrust92/100
MT AgentLive web researchVisual inspection
0%
Confidence
The domain was registered nearly 19 years ago, which is a significant indicator of stability and legitimacy. Our antivirus network and malware engines show zero flags across over 90 different security providers. The site maintains a professional editorial layout and is currently managed by a known media parent company, Ranker, Inc. Although some independent review aggregators show mixed feedback from freelance contributors regarding payment disputes, there is no evidence of phishing, malware distribution, or typical consumer-facing scams. The high traffic volume and long operational history further support its status as a legitimate web property.
Full dossier
Analysis complete

Page Content

The website serves as an editorial platform for 'Top 10' listicles covering topics from history to science. It features professional branding, author bylines, and a functional navigation structure without deceptive UI elements or fake urgency tactics.

Infrastructure

The site is hosted on a reputable network with a clean IP reputation and no history of abuse reports. It utilizes a valid SSL certificate issued by Google Trust Services and loads standard advertising and analytics scripts typical of a high-traffic media site.

Domain History

Registered in 2007, the domain has a massive age of over 6,900 days. This longevity is a strong trust signal, as malicious sites are typically short-lived and frequently rotated to avoid blacklists.

Web Reputation

The site is well-indexed and holds a significant global traffic rank. While it has faced criticism on community forums like Reddit regarding its editorial accuracy and payment practices for writers, it is widely recognized as a legitimate entertainment brand rather than a fraudulent entity.
Risk Factors
3
  • Mixed reviews on independent platforms regarding freelance writer payment disputes.
  • The original New Zealand business entity is listed as dissolved, though the site now operates under a US parent company.
  • Content accuracy is sometimes questioned by readers on social media platforms.
Positive Signals
5
  • Domain has been active and registered for nearly 19 years.
  • Zero detections across 92 antivirus engines and major browser blocklists.
  • Professional design with clear author bylines and established editorial history.
  • High global traffic ranking indicates a large, consistent user base.
  • Valid SSL encryption and clean hosting IP reputation.
AI Recommendation
The site is safe to browse for entertainment and informational purposes. If you are a freelance writer, exercise standard professional caution and review their current terms before submitting work.
Next-gen fraud intelligence
Evidence-backedCross-checked

Web Research Findings

Our live research agent queries scam-report databases, consumer-review sites, news coverage, and general web search for listverse.com, then cross-checks business-registration records and look-alike domain patterns. Everything below is pulled from what it actually found.

Domain age
19 yrs
Registered Jun 2007
Business registration
Dissolved · New Zealand
Company record shows the business is no longer trading.
Clone check
Not a clone
No well-known site's layout or branding detected here.
Typosquat check
No look-alike match
The domain doesn't resemble any well-known brand's spelling.
Web mentions
3 scam reports · 3 positive
Key findings
7 headline facts from open-web research
  • Domain registered ~19 years ago (approx. 2007); founded 2007-2009 by Jamie Frater as a top 10 lists trivia site.
  • Operated as Listverse Limited (New Zealand company 4117918), now removed/dissolved; references parent Ranker, Inc. with Los Angeles address.
  • Pays writers $100 per accepted list (US/UK/etc. only); positive writer experiences exist but multiple Reddit complaints of non-payment or low pay.
  • Scamadviser rates it "Very Likely Safe" and "legit" despite hidden owner via privacy service and mixed/polarized reviews.
  • Trustpilot shows ~22 reviews with 3/5 average; Sitejabber referenced with low ~1.7-1.8 star ratings in critical articles.
  • Content often criticized on Reddit as poorly researched or low-quality; site has disclaimers accepting no liability for accuracy of lists.
  • No evidence of malware, phishing, or consumer scams; long-established entertainment site with books, podcast, and media mentions.
Scam reports (3)
Direct quotes from public scam databases, forums, and news.
  • Reddit (r/freelanceWriters)open

    "Listverse didn't pay me. I've written 3 articles for Listverse and I haven't been paid for my first 2 published articles."

  • Reddit (r/freelanceWriters)open

    "If you are looking for a quick dollar, avoid Listverse. ... they pull you in with the promise of $100"

  • Al Hakamopen

    "Purchased “facts”: Risks of unreliable online resources – Listverse.com as a case study"

Positive reviews (3)
Quotes indicating the site is legitimate.
  • Mediumopen

    "Yes, Listverse is 100% legit, and I absolutely love writing for them. You don't need to pass any tests, sign up, or pay any submission fee."

  • PaidFromSurveysopen

    "Listverse is a legit site that will allow you to earn by submitting original list articles."

  • Scamadviseropen

    "In summary, we think listverse.com is legit and safe for consumers to access."

Business registration
Status: dissolved · New Zealand

Listverse Limited (NZCN 4117918 / NZBN 9429030437883), registered Nov 15, 2012, now listed as REMOVED. Site now references parent company Ranker, Inc. (US, Los Angeles address in privacy policy).

Research summary
Narrative write-up from our AI analyst, grounded on the facts above
We identified that Listverse was founded in 2007 and is currently owned by Ranker, Inc. Research on community platforms like Reddit reveals several complaints from freelance writers regarding payment delays or rejections, which accounts for the mixed ratings on some review aggregators. However, major security analysts and trust-rating sites consistently list the domain as safe for general browsing, noting its long history and lack of malicious activity.

Antivirus Engines

Clean pass · verified
Clean across 92 engines

We cross-check every URL against our antivirus network of 92 malware and blacklist engines. None of them flagged this URL in the last scan.

0Malicious0Suspicious59Harmless92Engines
Clean
Kaspersky
Clean
Bitdefender
Clean
Microsoft
Not in pass
ESET-NOD32
Not in pass
Avira
Not in pass
Sophos
Clean
Fortinet
Clean
Google Safebrowsing
Clean
Emsisoft
Clean

No engine detections. The URL passed every antivirus and blacklist engine we queried in this scan. Stay vigilant — AV coverage is only one signal among many.

Security Scans

Blacklist Check
Not flagged on major threat lists

Checked against the major public blocklists used by browsers and security tools — no hits.

Contact Verification

We fetched the page and looked for real-world contact details. Legitimate businesses almost always publish an email on their own domain, a phone number, and a postal address. Scam shops usually don't.

What We Found
No clear contact details on the page
Emails on site's domainNone
Phone numbersNone
Postal addressPresent
Linked social profiles4
Signal Summary
Contact details look reasonable
  • No contact email found anywhere on the page.
  • No phone number listed on the page.
  • Postal address visible on the page.
  • Links to 7 social profiles.

Domain & Encryption

Domain History
Age19 years old
RegistrarNameCheap, Inc.
RegisteredJun 29, 2007
ExpiresJun 29, 2031
Owner privacyVisible
Encryption Certificate
StatusValid
ProtocolTLSv1.3
IssuerGoogle Trust Services · WE1
ExpiresSep 15, 2026 (79d)
Self-signedNo
Hosting & Technology
HostingCloudflare, Inc.
Server locationUS
Web servercloudflare
Platform / CMSWordPress
PopularityNot in popularity top list

Redirect Chain

Hops
1
Cross-domain
No
Lookalike
No
Punycode
No
  • 1301http://listverse.com/
  • 2200https://listverse.com/

Server Reputation

Abuse Intelligence
Confidence score0%
Reports on file0
ISPCloudflare, Inc.
Usage typeContent Delivery Network

Still, stay alert

No major threat indicators — but a clean scan does not guarantee every page is safe, and phishing emails routinely spoof real domains.

  • Double-check the exact URL in your address bar

    Confirm you are actually on listverse.com and not a lookalike like l-istverse.com.com or an IDN homoglyph.

  • Use a password manager

    Password managers only auto-fill on the exact domain they were saved for — they refuse to fill lookalike domains, which is the single best phishing defence.

  • Discuss this site on the forum

    If you have first-hand experience with this site — good or bad — share it with the MalwareTips community.

    Open

Reputation Sources

How this domain rates across independent threat-intelligence and blocklist providers.

Google Safe Browsing
Not listedCheck ↗
VirusTotal
Not listedCheck ↗
AbuseIPDB
Not listedCheck ↗

Referenced Domains

Outbound domains this page links to or loads resources from. Each links to its own security scan.

Safety FAQ

Common questions about this site, answered directly from the scan data above — so the answers always reflect the latest verdict on this page.

  • Our automated security review found no threat indicators on listverse.com. The site appears legitimate based on the signals we checked, but always stay alert for phishing emails that spoof real domains.
  • listverse.com passed our automated security checks with a trust score of 94/100. No antivirus engines or major blacklists flagged the site at the time of the last scan.
  • Yes. listverse.com presents a valid TLSv1.3 certificate issued by Google Trust Services · WE1, expiring in 79 days. Note that SSL only encrypts the connection — it does not guarantee that the site itself is trustworthy.
  • listverse.com is 19.0 years old, registered on 6/29/2007 through NameCheap, Inc.. Scam domains are often freshly registered — a site under 6 months old warrants extra caution.
  • No. All 92 antivirus engines in our malware network report listverse.com as clean.
  • No. listverse.com is not currently listed on the major browser blocklist feeds that modern browsers use.
  • listverse.com resolves to an IP operated by Cloudflare, Inc. in US (usage type: Content Delivery Network). Hosting location alone doesn't make a site good or bad, but unusual geography for a brand's claimed country is one of many signals we weigh.
  • This is a permanent record of the scan run on June 27, 2026. The verdict and evidence above reflect that scan and do not change on their own. If circumstances around listverse.com have changed, MalwareTips staff can run a fresh scan, which re-runs every check from scratch and publishes an updated report.

Final Verdict

0
Trust / 100
Final Verdict·listverse.com
SAFE

Listverse is a long-standing entertainment and trivia website that has been active for nearly two decades. While there are some disputes regarding freelance writer payments, the site is a legitimate informational platform and not a consumer scam.

The site is safe to browse for entertainment and informational purposes. If you are a freelance writer, exercise standard professional caution and review their current terms before submitting work.

AV engines
92
MT passes
2
Net signals
0
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This report is generated automatically by combining threat intelligence, domain signals, and an AI security analyst. It is informational, not legal advice. Always use your own judgement before sharing personal information or money online.