Using short links safely

How to recognise trustworthy short links and protect yourself from phishing.

Why short links can be risky

A short link does not reveal where it leads. Scammers use exactly that to disguise phishing pages. A little healthy scepticism is the best protection.

Look at the sender

What matters is who sends you the link. Only open short links from people and organisations you know. Be extra careful with unexpected messages about parcels, unpaid invoices or prizes.

Check the address after opening

After the redirect, the real address is shown in the address bar. Check it before you enter passwords or payment details. Watch out for typo domains like paypa1.com or extra words in front of the real name.

How ci8.de protects you

Every target is checked for known malware and phishing when it is shortened. Reported links get a warning page and are deleted. Links into local networks and chains through other short link services are not accepted at all.

Report a suspicious link

If a ci8.de short link looks suspicious, report it with the report form. Every report helps protect others.