Domain Due Diligence
Report for Weatherbug.com
Why we think so
WeatherBug (weatherbug.com) is a long-running, U.S.-focused weather site (registered in 1999) that draws roughly 6 million monthly visits and uses mainstream infrastructure (AWS/CloudFront, Amazon registrar, Mimecast mail). SSL is valid and no Google Safe Browsing or crypto scam blacklists flagged the domain. That said, security forums and past app reports flag WeatherBug’s desktop/mobile installers as potentially unwanted/adware and note aggressive data collection and ads. Overall verdict: ✅ Safe to use for weather information, but avoid bundled installers and review app permissions and privacy settings.
Risk Insights
Established, high-traffic weather publisher
Privacy & adware friction
Contradictory Signals
The site is operational and widely used, but some installers and ad behavior have caused security-community concerns. This is a reputation/privacy issue, not evidence of direct financial fraud.
Signal A: High traffic, long domain age, valid SSL, no blacklist matches (signals of legitimacy).
Signal B: Community/security reports and app reviews flag PUP/adware and privacy concerns (signals of risk).
Category Scores
Red Flags & Warnings
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Community/security forum reports and removal guides label WeatherBug installers as PUP/adware, citing bundled software and intrusive ads.
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Privacy concerns: multiple sources note data collection and third-party sharing common to free weather apps.
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WHOIS uses an identity-protection service (registrant masked), which lowers direct owner transparency.
🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis
Domain age & WHOIS
Domain age & WHOIS
"Registered 1999 with Amazon Registrar; registrant details are masked via an identity-protection service (common but reduces owner transparency)."
Reason: Domain registered in 1999; long history supports authenticity.
Traffic & popularity
Traffic & popularity
"SimilarWeb and SimilarTech report ~6M monthly visits and global rank around 10,517; audience heavily U.S.-based (~95%)."
Reason: High monthly visits (~6M) and stable rank indicate a real audience.
Technical infra & security
Technical infra & security
"Hosting and CDN via Amazon infrastructure; valid SSL (Amazon RSA) with no immediate expiry concerns and proper MX/TXT records for email verification."
Reason: Uses AWS/CloudFront, Route 53 and has a valid SSL certificate.
Reputation & blacklist checks
Reputation & blacklist checks
"Google Safe Browsing and crypto scam sniffer returned no matched threats; third-party reputation tools list WeatherBug as legitimate though some flag PUP/adware concerns."
Reason: No Google Safe Browsing or crypto-scam blacklist detections.
Contact info & transparency
Contact info & transparency
"Support emails (customerfeedback@weatherbug.com) and social profiles present; no verifiable physical location in Google Places data from this scan."
Reason: Public emails and social channels are listed, enabling user contact.
Trademark / brand impersonation
Trademark / brand impersonation
"USPTO search returned no matching trademark records for the query used, lowering impersonation risk in trademark registry."
Reason: No USPTO trademark conflicts or identical-registrations found.
User complaints & legal signals
User complaints & legal signals
"App reviews cite intrusive ads, ad-free purchase issues, and support delays; no class-action or large regulatory penalties surfaced in the provided search results."
Reason: Some app-store and forum complaints about ads, PUP and support responsiveness, but no major fraud/legal actions found.
Your Next Steps
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1If you install the app or desktop client, download only from official app stores (Apple App Store, Google Play) or the site’s official links and avoid third-party bundlers.
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2Before installing, review app permissions (location, contacts) and limit access you don’t need.
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3Use an ad-blocker or script blocker if intrusive ads are a concern, and consider the paid/ad-free app only from official vendors.
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4If privacy is important, review WeatherBug’s privacy policy and opt out of tracking where possible or use location-level controls.
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5Report any suspicious charges or unsolicited emails to your bank and to the site’s support email (customerfeedback@weatherbug.com).
Evidence & Citations
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SimilarTech profile for weatherbug.com (technologies & infra)
Shows major tech vendors (Amazon CloudFront, Route 53), analytics and ad platforms used by the site; indicates professional infrastructure consistent with a mainstream publisher.
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SimilarWeb traffic snapshot for weatherbug.com (Sept 2025)
Estimates ~6M monthly visits, US-heavy audience (~95%) and engagement metrics (pages/visit ~3.15, bounce rate ~40–41%), supporting high legitimate usage.
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WHOIS / DNS / SSL records for weatherbug.com
Registered in 1999; registrar Amazon Registrar, Inc.; registrant details masked via an identity-protection service; valid SSL certificate issued by Amazon RSA (valid through Aug 2026).
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Site contact scraping (emails & social profiles)
Public support emails (customerfeedback@weatherbug.com, social@weatherbug.com) and active social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) are publicly listed on the site.
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Reputation & community notes (aggregated findings)
Search-summary shows no verified fraud/loss reports tied to weatherbug.com but documents community concerns about PUP/adware and privacy practices for some WeatherBug installers and apps.
🕵🏻 Keep investigating
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