A fake site can look identical to the real one, so the design tells you little. This article covers the checks that do work: the address, the way you arrived, and what the page asks of you.
Published September 30, 2026 · 2 min read
Start with the address, not the page. Look-alike sites use addresses that resemble the real one with small changes, hoping you will not notice. Then think about how you got there: did you open a saved entry point, or follow a link someone sent you? Finally, look at what the page wants. If it asks for a seed phrase or a login code, stop, whatever the page looks like.
It is usually the real address with a small change that is easy to miss at a glance. Typical examples are a swapped or doubled letter, a character that resembles another one, or an extra word or hyphen added to the name.
The habit takes a few seconds and catches the imitation that a quick glance misses.
A logo, colours and layout are easy to copy, so a fake page can look exactly like the original. That is why the check has to rest on something the copier cannot fake as easily: the exact address you are on. Checking the address character by character, rather than trusting a logo, is what catches the imitation. If the page looks right but the address is even slightly off, treat it as a fake.
Reaching a site from a saved official entry point is safer than from a link in a message or an ad. You save the entry point once, after verifying it carefully, and reuse it every time. A link in a message or an ad puts the choice of address in someone else's hands, and that is exactly where look-alike addresses are used. The table below compares the usual ways of arriving.
| Way of arriving | Level of risk | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saved official entry point | Lowest | You verified the address once and reuse it | Save it after checking the address carefully |
| Link in a message | Higher | The sender chooses the address, and it may be a look-alike | Do not follow it; open your saved entry point instead |
| Link in an ad | Higher | The address may resemble the real one with small changes | Skip the ad and use your saved entry point |
| Typing the address from memory | Moderate | A small typo can land you on a similar address | Type slowly and read the address character by character |
The clearest red flag is a request for a seed phrase or a login code. A page that asks for either one is suspicious regardless of how polished it looks. Do not type them in to "see what happens": once entered on a fake page, they are in someone else's hands. Close the page, go back to your saved entry point and check the address again there.
Money moves in ways that are hard to undo, so the check matters more. Blockchain transfers are irreversible: nobody can bring back a transfer sent to the wrong address. With Nexus Pay, which opens inside Telegram via the bot @nexuspaymybot, the practical habit is to keep that chat as your saved entry point and return to it instead of following links from messages. If something looks wrong with a card, it can be frozen in the app in one tap. This is general information, not personal security advice.
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