Warning signs detected
Free URL shortener frequently flagged in phishing and spam complaints despite a clean page scan. Several risk indicators suggest caution. This site might be legitimate — but treat it as unverified until you can independently confirm.
Is shorturl.at legit or a scam?
Free URL shortener frequently flagged in phishing and spam complaints despite a clean page scan.
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
MT Intelligence
The site functions as a standard URL shortener powered by NameSilo with no malicious code or phishing forms on the page itself. Hosting IP shows minimal abuse reports and the visual scan confirms a fully rendered legitimate tool. Multiple independent review sites document 67 complaints plus specific reports of links failing or redirecting unexpectedly after first use. The service appears often misused for phishing campaigns according to forum discussions. No business registration records exist, which is typical for small tools but removes one layer of accountability. These factors together create moderate risk for users who rely on shortened links.
Website Preview
Automated page render — captured in a safe sandbox. What an ordinary visitor would see when loading the site.
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.
No scam visual patterns detected
Clean, fully-rendered legitimate page for NameSilo's ShortURL tool with no scam indicators visible.
Web Research Findings
Our live research agent queries scam-report databases, consumer-review sites, news coverage, and general web search for shorturl.at, then cross-checks business-registration records and look-alike domain patterns. Everything below is pulled from what it actually found.
- shorturl.at is a free URL shortening service with link tracking and management features.
- Scamadviser assigns average to good trust score and concludes it is 'legit and safe to use and not a scam website' (updated 1 day ago).
- Trustpilot profile shows 67 reviews with overall score 2.6/5; multiple 1-star reviews label it spam, suspicious, or scam.
- Service maintains public abuse reporting form at https://www.shorturl.at/report-malicious-url.php for spam/phishing/malware links.
- Scamadviser notes the site 'is often misused for phishing'.
- Reddit threads frequently reference shorturl.at links in scam/phishing contexts (e.g., fake order recalls, malware).
- Site claims to delete links disseminating spam, viruses, or malware.
- Trustpilotopen
"This site is mostly spam links and advertisers , it requires lots of information that is very suspicious. Don't use it, avoid at all costs."
- Trustpilotopen
"SHORTURL is scam Shorturl Scam stay away from them. I used to shorten and sent to multiple contacs. The link was not working in hours."
- Trustpilotopen
"Scam redirect"
- SaaSAdviseropen
"Not trustworthy! As already stated, shorturl.at is a scam : it works the first time, but afterwards it directs users to a different URL. Be safe, don't use it!"
Independent review sites show four direct scam reports and 67 total complaints describing spam, broken links after first use, and unexpected redirects. Reddit threads commonly reference shorturl.at links in phishing or malware contexts. The service maintains an abuse reporting form and states it removes malicious links, yet negative feedback significantly outweighs the few positive mentions found.
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.
- No postal address visible on the page.
- Links to 7 social profiles.
Domain & Encryption
Redirect Chain
- 1301http://shorturl.at/
- 2301https://shorturl.at/
- 3200https://www.shorturl.at/cross-domain
Server Reputation
Proceed with caution
Our automated review flagged enough risk that you should treat this site as unverified.
- Treat shorturl.at 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 from the scan data on this page. These are auto-generated — not hand-written — so they always match the underlying report.
- Our automated security review marked shorturl.at 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.
- shorturl.at 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. shorturl.at presents a valid TLSv1.3 certificate issued by Google Trust Services · WE1, expiring in 71 days. Note that SSL only encrypts the connection — it does not guarantee that the site itself is trustworthy.
- No. shorturl.at is not currently listed on the major browser blocklist feeds that modern browsers use.
- shorturl.at 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.
- We cache results for 24 hours. Signed-in MalwareTips members can trigger a manual rescan at any time using the "Rescan" button on the report page, which re-runs every check from scratch and refreshes this page.
User reviews & comments(0)
Share your experience — "Lost $200 on a fake checkout" is more useful than "Scam". Your review helps others avoid traps.