Can AI tell me if a website is safe?
Only half. AI can walk you through the warning signs and spot odd web addresses, but it cannot open the site or see whether it is flagged. Run the link through a real checker before you enter a card or password.
01Why half-bot
- It knows the common signs of fake shops and phishing pages, such as strange addresses and pressure to act fast.
- Most chat apps cannot open the site live, so they only judge what you describe.
- A site that looks fine can still be brand new or already reported, and only a live checker shows that.
Sponsor slot · openFeatured tool for this task. A labeled card for one relevant tool.
Book this spot →02The prompt
Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your own details, then paste it into your AI app.
You are a calm online-safety helper who explains things to non-technical people. The web address (typed out, do not click it): [WEB ADDRESS] What the site wants from me: [CARD, PASSWORD, DOWNLOAD OR OTHER] How I found it: [AD, TEXT, EMAIL, SEARCH OR FRIEND] What looks odd to me, if anything: [NOTES OR NOTHING] Your task: tell me what to check before I trust this site. Rules: - MUST say in the first sentence that you cannot open the site or see live safety data. - MUST give exactly 5 checks I can do myself in under 5 minutes, numbered 1 to 5. - MUST point out anything odd in the address I typed, such as extra words, swapped letters or an unusual ending. - NEVER say a site is safe or confirmed safe. You may say "no warning signs in what you told me". - MUST end with one line telling me to run the address through a free checker, such as Google's Safe Browsing site status page, before entering any card or password. - If anything is missing, ask me up to 3 short questions first. Format: the first sentence, the 5 numbered checks, a short note on the address, then the closing line.
03Steps
- Copy the web address as text and do not click it.
- Fill in the brackets and paste the prompt into your AI app.
- Run the address through a free checker before you enter any card or password.
04What can go wrong
- AI cannot see live reports, so a clean answer is not proof the site is safe.
- If you already entered a card or password, contact your bank or change the password now.
05What to use
Any major AI chat app, plus a free site checker such as Google's Safe Browsing site status page.
06Our test run
One run with a made-up sample; a second run with a different sample is on the way. 1 of 1 passed every check.
Run 1 · Llama 3.3 70B · graded by GPT-OSS 120BOct 17, 2026Passed
The made-up sample:
[WEB ADDRESS]https://secure-payments-verify.com/login[CARD, PASSWORD, DOWNLOAD OR OTHER]CARD[AD, TEXT, EMAIL, SEARCH OR FRIEND]EMAIL[NOTES OR NOTHING]The domain includes extra hyphens and the word 'verify' which is unusual for the known site; the TLD is .com but the name differs from the legitimate 'securepayments.com'.
- First sentence must state you cannot open the site
- Provide exactly five numbered checks
- Include a note pointing out oddities in the address
- End with a line to run the address through a free checker
- Didn't make up details we never gave it
What came back (excerpt):
I cannot open the site or see live safety data, so I'll guide you through some checks to help you assess its legitimacy.
Read the full answer
I cannot open the site or see live safety data, so I'll guide you through some checks to help you assess its legitimacy. 1. Check the email that led you to this site for any spelling or grammar mistakes, as legitimate companies usually have professional communications. 2. Look for the site's physical address, phone number, or other contact information to verify its authenticity. 3. Verify if the site has a valid SSL certificate by looking for "https" and a lock icon in the address bar. 4. Be cautious of the site asking for your card information directly, and check if there are any other payment options available. 5. Check the site's privacy policy and terms of service to see if they align with standard practices. The address you provided, https://secure-payments-verify.com/login, stands out due to the extra hyphens and the word 'verify', which is unusual compared to the known site 'securepayments.com', and the .com TLD with a differing name may indicate an attempt to mimic a legitimate site. Run the address through a free checker, such as Google's Safe Browsing site status page, before entering any card or password.
Check that the response follows the exact required format and includes all mandatory elements.
How each run works: we fill the prompt with a made-up sample, run it once in Llama 3.3 70B, and GPT-OSS 120B grades the answer against the prompt's own rules. Word limits are counted by code, and every quote flagged as made up is checked against the full answer. Your results can differ. How we test.
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