Recommendation

Caution

Overall Summary

Suspicious

Why we think so

Goodreads.com is a well-established site focused on books, reviews, and reader communities, ranking #404 globally with about 85 million monthly visits, mostly from the US. Its technology stack includes widely recognized platforms like Amazon hosting services and major advertising providers, highlighting a professional setup. The domain was created in 2002 and is owned by Goodreads LLC, part of Amazon Technologies, Inc., with verified trademarks for "GOODREADS." The site uses HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate ensuring secure connections. While it is technically legitimate and has no blacklist warnings, users frequently report issues regarding fake profiles, poor customer service, and scams such as extortion attempts and fraudulent review offers targeting authors. No active lawsuits were found, but some controversies including review manipulation and account suspensions have been noted.

Confidence Score

90%

Risk Insights

🛠️

Strong Technical Setup and Traffic

Amazon hosting and CDN used for scalability.

High monthly visits (~85M) with mainly US-based users.

Diverse traffic sources including search and direct.

✅

Verified Trademark Ownership

Multiple trademarks registered to Goodreads LLC and Amazon.

Protects brand identity legally.

Active registration status confirms ongoing business.

⚠️

User-Reported Scam and Trust Issues

Authors and users report extortion and fake review scams.

Complaints about poor customer support responses.

Issues with impersonation and review bombing noted.

Contradictory Signals

The solid technical foundation conflicts with negative user experience and scam reports, indicating reputational risks despite legitimacy.

Signal A: Technical and domain legitimacy confirmed by ownership and traffic

Signal B: Frequent user complaints about scams and poor support

Category Scores

Identity 90/100

Reputation 65/100

Technical 95/100

Content 70/100

Legal 90/100

Business Validity 90/100

Red Flags & Warnings

Reported scams include extortion threats, fake review solicitations, and poor management of impersonation issues.
User complaints of inadequate customer service and slow response to content abuses.

🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis

Domain age and registration

Score: 90/100

Passed

"A long domain life and registrar by MarkMonitor suggest stable ownership."

Reason: The domain is over 20 years old and registered to reputable entities: MarkMonitor and Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Technology infrastructure and traffic

Score: 95/100

Passed

"Robust tech stack and high global ranking (#404) confirm operational legitimacy."

Reason: Goodreads.com uses Amazon hosting and CDN, has high traffic (~85M monthly visits), and diverse, legitimate traffic sources.

Blacklist and phishing status

Score: 100/100

Passed

"Absence from blacklists is a strong authenticity signal."

Reason: No flags from crypto scam databases or Google Safe Browsing indicate no known active malware or phishing.

Trademark and brand validation

Score: 90/100

Passed

"Trademark protection supports business validity but does not prevent scams reported by users."

Reason: Multiple active trademarks registered for "GOODREADS" owned by Goodreads LLC and Amazon Technologies, Inc.

User reputation and scam reports

Score: 50/100

Failed

"These significant user complaints reduce overall trustworthiness."

Reason: Users report frequent scams including extortion threats, fake reviewer solicitations, and poor customer service handling these issues.

Your Next Steps

1

Use caution when interacting with user-generated content on Goodreads, especially review offers or unsolicited messages.
2

Verify author identities before engagement to avoid scam accounts or impersonation.
3

Report suspicious reviews or scam attempts using Goodreads' official reporting tools.
4

Consider alternative book community sites if concerns about scams or moderation reliability persist.

Evidence & Citations

SimilarTech profile for goodreads.com
Shows technology use, traffic, and category information.
WHOIS and SSL details for goodreads.com
Confirms domain age, registrar, ownership, and SSL validity.
USPTO trademark registrations for GOODREADS
Legal trademark registrations owned by Goodreads LLC and Amazon Technologies.
User reports of scams and complaints on Goodreads
Documented extortion threats, fake reviews, customer service issues, and review bombing controversies.
Crypto scam blacklist checks and Google Safe Browsing
No blacklist or phishing warnings found.

🕵🏻 Keep investigating

Recommended →

🌐 Vet another Website

Run another instant due diligence scan on any domain. Verify before you subscribe or shop!

25 Common Website Scams & How To Avoid Them

Scam types: Spot fake SaaS login pages before handing over credentials; Audit clone banking sites before customers log in; Investigate crypto investment landing pages

Read playbook →

Scam Encyclopedia

Browse platform-specific scams / red flags and see real-world encounters curated by our analysts.

Read playbook →