Methodology

Why should I trust this score?

The instant message checker and database search use the rules published here. Optional deep analysis uses an AI service and may give a different score; it is not this fixed-rule calculation. Nobody can pay to change a rating. This page explains which signals we use, how much each one moves the number, and just as importantly, what we do not check.

The short version

We look for official warnings, public cases, community reports, copycat names and common scam language. A higher score means we found more serious warning signs. It does not prove a crime happened, and a low score does not prove something is safe.

Where the score comes from

Database searches use this order: a documented case, then a regulator warning, then a tracked entity's stored score, then a lookalike match, then matching reports. The first available source sets the score; scores are not added together and we do not take the largest number across sources. Message-language checks use a separate calculation.

Official regulator warning lists

Score 82–95

We match your search against imported entries from the California DFPI Crypto Scam Tracker, the SEC PAUSE list, the CFTC RED List, and ASIC/Moneysmart in Australia. One agency listing gives 82. Each additional distinct agency listing the same name adds 6 points, capped at 95. Links to other regulators are reference links, not additional automated feeds. Imports are scheduled weekly, but source access and freshness can vary; always check the linked official record.

Documented public enforcement cases

Score 85–98

If your search matches a case in our public-record casebook, the score reflects the documented outcome. A guilty verdict, sentence or guilty plea scores 98; a civil fraud judgment scores 96; filed charges score 92; a regulator finding scores 88; and an investigation scores 85. Unresolved matters are labelled as allegations, and we link to the public record so you can read it yourself.

Community scam reports

Score up to 95

Reports are reviewed by a moderator before publication. After casebook and regulator matches, a matching tracked entity's stored risk score takes priority. Otherwise a lookalike match scores 75. If none of those applies, matching reports set the score: their average risk, rounded to the nearest whole number, plus 2 points per matching report (volume bonus capped at 10), with the total capped at 95. Only the reports returned by the search are included; this is not a count of independently verified victims.

Lookalike names and domains

Score 75

Scammers register near-copies of well-known exchange and wallet brands. We compare your search against a list of real brand names using character-distance matching, so a one or two letter change, an added word, or a swapped ending is caught. A lookalike match with nothing else known scores 75 — high enough to stop you, not a claim the site is proven fraudulent.

Scam language and manipulation patterns

Score 0–100, message only

When you paste a message into the free checker, we run it against 20 rules: 10 serious patterns and 10 softer warnings. They cover guaranteed returns, withdrawal-unlock demands, recovery offers, seed phrases, remote access, urgency, coaching and chat-app mentions. Each matched serious rule adds 28 points and each matched softer rule adds 11, capped at 100. A rule counts once, even if repeated. Only the first 8,000 characters are scanned. One serious match alone scores 28, which remains in the lower band: read the individual warning, not just the number. This scan runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Reported wallets, numbers and accounts

Feeds the report score

Wallet addresses, phone numbers, Telegram handles and social accounts named in community reports are tracked as entities, so a wallet reused across several scams shows a rising report count and reported-loss total. This is community-reported data, not blockchain analysis — see the limits below.

What do we mean by a withdrawal fee warning?

A withdrawal means taking your money out. A real exchange may charge a clearly disclosed withdrawal or network fee. A fee alone does not prove a scam.

The warning sign is someone refusing to release your money unless you send more money first. They may call it a “tax,” “unlock fee,” or “verification deposit.”

“Your account shows $5,000, but you must send us another $500 before you can take it out.”

That example is a serious warning sign—not proof the displayed balance is real. Stop sending money. Check the platform through a website or phone number you find independently, not a link or number supplied by the person asking you to pay.

What the bands mean

0–30 · Lower risk

Few or no signals in this check. A single serious message warning can still fall here. A low score is not proof of safety; an unknown search has no safety rating.

31–70 · Caution

Some concerning signals, or reports with mixed severity. Verify independently before sending money.

71–100 · High risk

A regulator warning, documented case, concerning entity/report score, lookalike, or several message-language warnings. Do not send money.

What we do not check

Being honest about the gaps is part of the methodology. A low score means we found nothing, not that something is safe.

Domain registration age and WHOIS records. We do not query registrars, so a brand-new domain does not by itself raise the score.
Company registration checks. We do not query company registries or licence databases, beyond what a regulator has already published in a warning list.
On-chain blockchain analysis. We do not trace transactions, balances or fund flows. Wallet data here comes only from what people reported.
Withdrawal-complaint volume from exchanges or app stores. We only see withdrawal problems when someone tells us in a report or pastes the message.
Independent verification of user reports. Moderators check reports for spam, abuse and obvious falsehood — they cannot confirm every claim.

Our independence rules

We never ask for your seed phrase, private keys or passwords.
We don't recover cryptocurrency and we never charge recovery fees.
We don't accept payment from companies to change, remove or improve their risk rating.
A risk score is an informational signal, not a legal finding. Unresolved matters are described as allegations.

Corrections and removals

If you believe a listing or score about your business is wrong, email Support@wascryptoscammed.com with the name, the URL of the page and what is inaccurate. Where a score comes from a regulator list or court record, we link to the primary source and cannot remove that agency's published warning — you would need to take that up with the agency itself.