Domain Due Diligence
Report for Ashleymadison.com
Why we think so?
AshleyMadison.com is a high-traffic online dating platform known for facilitating extramarital affairs. It receives around 4 million monthly visits globally, predominantly from the United States. The website uses standard web technologies and maintains an active presence with valid SSL certificates and multiple verified contact emails. Despite these legitimate operational attributes, the site has a controversial reputation due to allegations and evidence of deceptive practices, including widespread use of fake profiles and aggressive monetization strategies. It suffered a major data breach in 2015 exposing sensitive user information, leading to extensive legal actions and regulatory settlements. Many users report financial losses caused by fraudulent interactions and unfulfilled paid deletion promises, and the platform has faced multiple class-action lawsuits and FTC penalties. Therefore, while technically sound and well-established, the business practices raise significant concerns about trust and user safety.
Risk Insights
Major Data Breach Impact
- 2015 breach exposed millions of user profiles, including those who paid for data deletion.
- Leaked data led to extortion scams targeting users.
- Site faced multi-million dollar class action settlements.
Fake Profile Usage
- Reports confirm extensive use of bots and fake female profiles to induce spending.
- Affiliate program incentivizes creation of fake accounts.
- Users often charged for meaningless or fraudulent communications.
Technical Legitimacy
- Domain registered since 2001 with valid SSL certificates.
- No indications in crypto scam or phishing blacklists.
- Consistent traffic shows active and maintained platform.
Contradictory Signals
Strong technical integrity does not guarantee trustworthy user experience or ethical conduct.
Signal A: Technical infrastructure is solid and domain is legitimate.
Signal B: Business practices result in widespread user fraud and financial harm.
Category Scores
Red Flags & Warnings
- Reported extensive use of fake profiles and bots for monetization leading to user deception and financial loss.
- 2015 data breach revealed failure to honor data deletion promises and exposed sensitive user data.
- Multiple class-action lawsuits and FTC settlements due to deceptive business practices and poor data security.
- User reports and reviews describe fraudulent activities and aggressive monetization via credit systems.
🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis
Domain and Infrastructure Validity
Score: 80/100
Domain and Infrastructure Validity
"No issues found in domain registration and technical setup."
Reason: Domain is well-established with valid SSL and recognized registrars; DNS and mail servers are properly configured.
Traffic and Engagement Assessment
Score: 70/100
Traffic and Engagement Assessment
"Traffic data supports an operational site but does not confirm legitimacy of content or practices."
Reason: Site shows high traffic and typical engagement metrics for its category indicating active use.
Reputation and User Reviews
Score: 20/100
Reputation and User Reviews
"Reputation strongly affected by fraudulent user experiences and deceptive practices documented widely."
Reason: Numerous reports and user reviews highlight fake profiles, deceptive monetization, and fraudulent activity.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Score: 25/100
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
"Legal history includes major class actions and mandated reforms due to breaches and misleading marketing."
Reason: Significant legal actions and FTC settlements confirm deceptive business practices and data security failures.
Content Authenticity and Business Validity
Score: 30/100
Content Authenticity and Business Validity
"The site operates but its core services have documented fraud risks."
Reason: Business model involves deceptive content such as fake profile creation and misleading assurances to users.
Your Next Steps
-
1
Avoid using AshleyMadison.com due to its history of deceptive practices and financial risks to users.
-
2
If you have used the site, monitor for signs of identity theft or extortion attempts stemming from the 2015 data breach.
-
3
Report any scams or extortion attempts linked to AshleyMadison accounts to appropriate authorities.
-
4
Consider using legitimate dating platforms with transparent user policies and strong privacy protections.
Evidence & Citations
-
Are there reports of users losing money via ashleymadison.com?
Comprehensive evidence shows users paying for fake interactions and unfulfilled deletion services, leading to financial loss.
-
reviews mentioning ashleymadison.com as fraudulent?
User reviews and investigations point to fake profiles and deceptive monetization.
-
Has ashleymadison.com been involved in legal or customer disputes?
Details legal settlements and regulatory actions due to data breach and deceptive practices.
-
WHOIS and SSL details for ashleymadison.com
Domain registered since 2001, valid SSL certificates issued, and no expiration issues.
-
Crypto Scam Sniffer results for ashleymadison.com
No blacklists or crypto scam flags found for this domain.
-
SimilarWeb traffic and engagement statistics for ashleymadison.com
Shows steady global traffic and user engagement.
🕵🏻 Keep investigating
Run another instant due diligence scan on any website URL. Verify before you trust!
Spot fake SaaS login pages before handing over credentialsPhishing crews spin up carbon-copy login portals for CRM and finance tools, siphoning credentials before users realize t...
Read playbook → Analyze giveaway landing page phishingGiveaway pages entice with consoles or flights, then harvest card data and selfies “for verification.” ScamAI checks reg...
Read playbook →Community feedback
Not rated yet
0 reviews published
Leave a review
Reviews
No public reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.