Is myabandonware.com legit or a scam?
Established abandonware archive with mixed safety reports — some downloads flagged for malware, but site itself appears legitimate with 18-year history and clean infrastructure.
These checks passed — but they don't clear the site. A clean antivirus result, valid SSL, and a calm server only mean it isn't hosting malware; they say nothing about whether the business is real. This verdict is based on the site's conduct and content, not a malware detection.
Analysis Summary
Warning signs detected
Several risk indicators suggest caution. This site might be legitimate — but treat it as unverified until you can independently confirm.
Website Preview
Automated page render — captured in a safe sandbox. What an ordinary visitor would see when loading the site.
MT Intelligence
My Abandonware operates as a genuine abandonware repository with a domain registered nearly 18 years ago and no signs of phishing or active fraud infrastructure. Our antivirus network and browser blocklists show no detections, and the hosting IP has zero abuse reports. However, the evidence package contains multiple user reports of malware found in specific game downloads from the site — including Battlefield 2 and Littlest Pet Shop — suggesting either compromised uploads or infected scene releases. Independent security checkers rate the site positively overall (80–91% trust scores), but an independent review aggregator shows a low 2.1/5 rating with 14 reviews. The site's own FAQ acknowledges the malware risk, states they scan files and remove infected releases, but explicitly warn users to scan downloads themselves. The core tension is that the site infrastructure appears legitimate, but the downloadable files themselves carry documented risk.
Web Research Findings
Our live research agent queries scam-report databases, consumer-review sites, news coverage, and general web search for myabandonware.com, then cross-checks business-registration records and look-alike domain patterns. Everything below is pulled from what it actually found.
- Domain registered approximately 17.9 years ago (6550 days); one of the longest-running abandonware archives with 37,500+ games.
- Site FAQ explicitly states they do not distribute malware, scan files with VirusTotal, remove infected scene releases, but warn users about ads and to scan downloads themselves.
- Mixed user reports: some Reddit and forum users report malware or suspicious behavior from specific downloads (e.g. Battlefield 2, Littlest Pet Shop preinstalled); others call it the safest abandonware site.
- Security checkers rate it positively overall (Scamadviser: likely legit/reliable; Appuals/Scam Detector: 100/100 safe; MyWOT: 91%; Gridinsoft: 80/100).
- Trustpilot shows low 2.1/5 from 14 reviews; common advice across sources is to scan all downloads with multiple AV tools and VirusTotal.
- Legal status is grey area (abandonware not officially sold but copyright may still apply); site disclaims responsibility for legality in user's country.
- No evidence of phishing, active scam campaigns, or distribution of modern malware on the site itself; primary risks are from archived old game files or third-party ads.
- Reddit r/abandonwareopen
"I always thought it to be a safe site, but I downloaded Battlefield 2 a while ago from myabw and it started running so many weird CMD windows... had to do a clean format"
- PC Gamer Forumsopen
"Abandonware downloads often contain various types of malware. Use two different brands of malware scanner on the download before installing it."
- Malwarebytes Forumsopen
"I downloaded a game littlest pet shop from myabandonware.com (Preinstalled version)... now as my scheduled scans were up they found out some malware ai detections"
- Trustpilotopen
"My Abandonware Reviews... 2.1. Poor."
- Scamadviseropen
"In summary, myabandonware.com is very likely not a scam but legit and reliable."
- Appualsopen
"MyAbandonware is widely regarded as a safe platform for accessing old games... received a 100 rating, indicating that it is safe and secure."
- Reddit r/abandonwareopen
"MyAbandonware is the safest out there... its my favourite retro gaming website"
- MyWOTopen
"WOT’s security score is... 91%... Community reviews ★ 4.5"
- Gridinsoftopen
"myabandonware.com appears to be generally safe. No major malware or phishing threats were detected... trust score is 80/100"
Our research found mixed user reports on Reddit, PC Gamer Forums, and Malwarebytes Forums documenting malware detections in specific game downloads from the site, including Battlefield 2 and Littlest Pet Shop preinstalled versions. an independent review aggregator shows a low 2.1/5 rating from 14 reviews, with complaints centered on malware and ads. However, independent security checkers (an independent review aggregator, Appuals, MyWOT, Gridinsoft) rate the site as legitimate and safe, with trust scores ranging from 80–100. The site's FAQ explicitly acknowledges malware risks, states they scan files and remove infected releases, but warn users to scan all downloads themselves with multiple antivirus tools. No evidence of phishing, credential harvesting, or active fraud campaigns was found.
Antivirus Engines
Security Scans
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.
- No contact email found anywhere on the page.
- No phone number listed on the page.
- Postal address visible on the page.
- Links to 6 social profiles.
Domain & Encryption
Redirect Chain
- 1301http://myabandonware.com/
- 2200https://www.myabandonware.com/cross-domain
Server Reputation
Proceed with caution
Our automated review flagged enough risk that you should treat this site as unverified.
- Treat myabandonware.com as unverified
Do not enter credentials or send money until you have independently verified the business.
- Verify the business through independent channels
Check the company's social profiles, registry records, and search for recent news or reviews that are not hosted on the site itself.
- Never use irreversible payment methods
Crypto, gift cards, wire transfers, and cash apps offer zero buyer protection. Use a credit card or PayPal if you must pay.
- OpenShare your experience
If you have additional context, drop a comment below or post on the MalwareTips forum.
Reputation Sources
How this domain rates across independent threat-intelligence and blocklist providers.
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 marked myabandonware.com as suspicious. Several warning signs were detected; it may still turn out legitimate, but you should verify it through independent channels before trusting it with money or credentials.
- myabandonware.com currently scores 55/100 on our trust scale. We found enough warning signals to recommend caution. Verify the site through independent channels before entering credentials or money.
- Yes. myabandonware.com presents a valid TLSv1.3 certificate issued by Let's Encrypt · R13, expiring in 61 days. Note that SSL only encrypts the connection — it does not guarantee that the site itself is trustworthy.
- myabandonware.com is 17.9 years old, registered on 7/7/2008 through Tucows Domains Inc.. Scam domains are often freshly registered — a site under 6 months old warrants extra caution.
- No. All 91 antivirus engines in our malware network report myabandonware.com as clean.
- No. myabandonware.com is not currently listed on the major browser blocklist feeds that modern browsers use.
- myabandonware.com resolves to an IP operated by OVH SAS in FR (usage type: Data Center/Web Hosting/Transit). 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.
- Yes. myabandonware.com sits in the global top-100k on Cloudflare Radar, which means it has substantial real-world traffic. That does not automatically make it safe, but established brands almost always rank here and throwaway scam domains almost never do.
User reviews & comments(0)
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