Malwarebytes Launches Free Scam Link Check So Anyone Can Verify a Link is Safe Before They Click
New tool helps shoppers catch scams before the holiday deals rush of Amazon Prime Day, Target Circle Deal Days, and Walmart Deal Days
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Malwarebytes, a global leader in real-time cyber protection, launched the Malwarebytes Scam Link Check, a free web tool that lets anyone check whether a website link is safe or dangerous before clicking it. Users paste any suspicious URL, the kind that arrives by text, email, chat, or social media, and the tool returns a clear safety result, along with the reasons behind it and recommended next steps. Malwarebytes Scam Link Check is available now at malwarebytes.com/scam-check/link . It is completely free, no download, payment, or login required.
Check a link: malwarebytes.com/scam-check/link
Scams have overtaken many traditional crimes in scale, with an estimated $442 billion lost to scams globally and roughly $21 billion lost by Americans alone in 2025. At the 2026 UN Fraud Summit, governments reported that cyber-enabled fraud run by organized crime now outweighs the global trade in weapons, drugs, and human trafficking combined. This is why Malwarebytes has committed to fighting scams and fraud with its anti-scam ecosystem.
Fake websites are the front door to much of that fraud. Malwarebytes research found that malicious websites such as phishing pages, counterfeit stores, and malicious ads, outnumber every other scam delivery method, ahead of email and text messages. Malwarebytes research also found that 85% of people say they can no longer reliably tell a scam from the real thing, up from 66% a year earlier.
"The thing most likely to drain your bank account today isn't a virus. It is a link that looks like it came from your bank, a delivery service, or a friend," said Mark Beare, Head of Consumer, Malwarebytes. "We've spent years asking people to become scam experts, and it hasn't worked, because scams evolve faster than anyone can track. Instead, we flipped the model. Rather than asking people to spot the scam, we give them an expert. Paste the link, get a straight answer, and know what to do next—free, in seconds."
How the Malwarebytes Scam Link Check works
The Malwarebytes Scam Link Check analyzes a submitted URL using the Malwarebytes threat intelligence ecosystem. It works like this:
The Malwarebytes anti-scam ecosystem
The Scam Link Check is one entry point into a broader Malwarebytes anti-scam ecosystem that follows a simple arc, see what's exposed, shrink the attack surface, and get a result in the moment.
The need for more tools to fight scams is measurable. Malwarebytes Scam Guard flags roughly one in five submissions as high-risk, meaning they could lead to a loss of at least $1,000 or other personal harm.
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About Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is reimagining security to safeguard devices, data, and people, no matter their location, lifestyle, or means. A global leader in online protection, its suite of award-winning cybersecurity, privacy, and identity solutions empower millions of people worldwide to enjoy their digital lives, free from threats and scams. Built and beloved by experts, Malwarebytes pairs a world-class team of threat researchers with proprietary AI-powered processes to supercharge and refine detections, providing unmatched protection against both known and unknown threats. Living up to its legacy, Malwarebytes continues to offer free tools that have long served as a first line of defense against malware and scams with new options for identity protection and data removal.
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SOURCE Malwarebytes