Scamalytics: What It Is, How the Fraud Score Works, and Is It Legit?

Introduction

Scamalytics is an online fraud intelligence service that helps businesses check whether an IP address may be linked with suspicious internet activity.

It is especially known for its IP Address Fraud Check. This tool gives an IP address a fraud risk score between 0 and 100. The service can also identify possible VPNs, proxies, Tor connections, hosting networks, datacenters, and other signals that may help businesses understand online risk.

Scamalytics is operated by a UK company called Scamalytics Ltd. The business has been working in online fraud prevention for many years and originally developed technology to help dating websites find fake accounts and scammers.

Today, its technology is used for wider online fraud detection.

This guide explains Scamalytics in very simple English, including how it works, what its scores mean, whether it is legitimate, and what you should know before trusting a fraud score.

What Is Scamalytics?

Scamalytics is a fraud detection and IP intelligence platform.

It studies internet connections and provides information that can help companies decide whether a visitor looks normal or potentially risky.

Businesses may use Scamalytics when checking:

• Account registrations
• Online payments
• Login attempts
• Suspicious users
• Website visitors
• Fake accounts
• Bots
• VPN connections
• Proxy connections
• Tor users
• Possible scam activity

Scamalytics does not simply tell a company that a person is a scammer.

Instead, it provides risk information that businesses can combine with other security checks.

Scamalytics Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Name	Scamalytics
Company	Scamalytics Ltd
Country	United Kingdom
Main service	Fraud and IP risk intelligence
Famous feature	IP Address Fraud Check
Fraud score range	0 to 100
API available	Yes
Bulk IP checks	Yes
VPN detection	Yes
Proxy detection	Yes
Tor detection	Yes
Free option	Available for limited API usage
Main users	Businesses, security teams and website owners

How Does Scamalytics Work?

Scamalytics looks at different signals connected with an IP address.

An IP address is a number used to identify an internet connection.

When someone visits a website, the website can normally see the visitor’s IP address.

Scamalytics can analyse that address and return information about it.

The system may look at signals such as:

• Previous suspicious activity
• Network reputation
• VPN usage
• Proxy usage
• Tor connections
• Datacenter connections
• Hosting providers
• Spam activity
• Bot-related activity
• ISP information
• Country and location information

It then calculates a risk score.

Businesses can use this score as one part of their fraud prevention system.

What Is the Scamalytics Fraud Score?

The Scamalytics fraud score normally runs from 0 to 100.

A lower number generally means that the IP address appears to have a lower risk.

A higher score suggests that Scamalytics has found more signals connected with suspicious or potentially fraudulent internet traffic.

A simple way to understand it is:

Score	General Meaning
Low score	Lower observed fraud risk
Medium score	Some risk signals may be present
High score	Stronger suspicious activity signals
Close to 100	Very high observed risk

However, these numbers should never be treated as proof that a person has committed fraud.

What Does a Scamalytics Score of 100 Mean?

A score of 100 means that Scamalytics considers the IP address or associated network to have a very high fraud risk based on the information available to its system.

It does not automatically mean the person using that IP address is a scammer.

This distinction is important.

Many people may sometimes share the same internet network.

For example, an IP address could belong to:

• A VPN company
• A datacenter
• A mobile internet provider
• A university
• A business network
• A public Wi-Fi network
• A hosting provider

One person may use an IP address today, while another person may use it later.

Therefore, a fraud score should be treated as a risk signal rather than proof of wrongdoing.

Why Is My IP High Risk on Scamalytics?

There are several reasons why an IP address could receive a high score.

The IP may belong to a network that has previously shown suspicious activity.

You may also be using:

• A VPN
• A proxy server
• Tor
• A shared internet connection
• Hosting or datacenter infrastructure

Sometimes an IP address may be connected with a larger network containing many users.

If other addresses within that network have shown suspicious behaviour, it may affect how the network is viewed.

A high score therefore does not always mean that you personally did something wrong.

Does Scamalytics Detect VPNs?

Yes.

VPN detection is one of the types of information Scamalytics can provide.

A VPN hides a user’s normal IP address and sends internet traffic through another server.

There are many legitimate reasons for using a VPN, including privacy and security.

However, scammers and fraudsters can also use VPNs to hide their real location.

For this reason, businesses often consider VPN usage as one fraud risk signal.

Using a VPN alone does not prove fraud.

Does Scamalytics Detect Proxies?

Scamalytics can also identify many proxy connections.

A proxy works as a middle point between a user and a website.

Like VPNs, proxies can have both legitimate and suspicious uses.

Fraud prevention systems may therefore look at proxy usage together with other signals before deciding whether an account needs extra checks.

Can Scamalytics Detect Tor?

Scamalytics can provide information about known Tor exit nodes.

Tor is a privacy network designed to hide where internet traffic originally came from.

Tor has legitimate privacy uses, but it can also make fraud investigations more difficult.

Some companies may therefore apply additional security checks when they detect a Tor connection.

What Information Does Scamalytics Show?

A Scamalytics IP lookup may provide different types of information about an internet connection.

This can include:

• Fraud score
• Risk level
• IP address
• Internet service provider
• Organisation
• ASN
• Hostname
• Country
• Region
• City
• Datacenter information
• VPN detection
• Proxy detection
• Tor detection
• Server information
• Blacklist indicators

The exact information available can depend on the IP address being checked.

What Is the Scamalytics IP Checker?

The Scamalytics IP checker is a public tool that allows people to enter an IP address and see risk-related information.

It is one of the easiest ways to understand how Scamalytics works.

A user enters an IP address.

Scamalytics then displays information such as the fraud score and network details.

The tool can be useful for:

• Investigating suspicious traffic
• Checking IP reputation
• Understanding VPN detection
• Checking network information
• Learning why an IP may appear risky

For more simple guides covering technology, websites and online services, readers can also explore For Magazine.

What Is the Scamalytics API?

Businesses that need many automated checks can use the Scamalytics API.

API means Application Programming Interface.

In simple words, an API allows one computer system to automatically request information from another system.

For example, imagine an online store receives a new order.

The store’s fraud system could automatically send the customer’s IP address to Scamalytics.

Scamalytics could return a fraud score.

The store could then combine that score with information such as:

• Order value
• Payment information
• Account history
• Login behaviour
• Device information

This can help the store decide whether the order needs additional checks.

Is Scamalytics Free?

Scamalytics provides both free and paid access.

Its pricing has included a free allowance for a limited number of API or bulk IP checks each month.

Higher usage requires a paid plan.

Businesses making millions of checks normally need larger plans.

Pricing can change, so companies should check the latest available plan before choosing a service.

What Is Scamalytics MMDB?

Scamalytics also provides an MMDB database option.

This is useful for companies that want to perform IP checks inside their own infrastructure.

Instead of sending every request to an external API, a business can use a locally hosted database.

This can provide several benefits.

It may offer:

• Faster searches
• Very high lookup capacity
• More control over data
• Reduced dependence on external API requests

This option is mainly useful for larger businesses or systems processing very large amounts of traffic.

Who Uses Scamalytics?

Scamalytics can be useful in industries where online fraud is a problem.

Possible users include:

Banking and Fintech

Banks and financial technology companies can use IP intelligence as part of transaction and account security.

Online Payments

Payment businesses can analyse suspicious connections before approving certain activities.

Dating Websites

Dating fraud is an important part of Scamalytics’ history.

The technology originally grew from attempts to identify fake dating profiles and romance scammers.

Classified Websites

Marketplaces and classified platforms may use fraud detection to reduce fake advertisements and fraudulent accounts.

Online Communities

Social websites may use risk signals to help find fake users, bots and suspicious registrations.

Cybersecurity Teams

Security teams can combine Scamalytics information with other threat intelligence tools to investigate suspicious IP addresses.

How Did Scamalytics Start?

Scamalytics grew from anti-fraud technology developed around the online dating industry.

Its founders worked on systems designed to identify suspicious dating profiles and share information about known scammers.

The technology later expanded beyond dating.

Today, Scamalytics focuses heavily on IP risk intelligence that can be used by many different types of online businesses.

The legal company, Scamalytics Ltd, was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 2012.

Who Founded Scamalytics?

Scamalytics is associated with founders Nikolaos “Nick” Tsinonis and Daniel “Dan” Winchester.

Their early work focused strongly on technology for detecting online dating scams.

Over time, the company’s fraud intelligence tools developed into services that can be used across many industries.

Is Scamalytics Legit?

Yes, Scamalytics appears to be a legitimate fraud intelligence business.

Scamalytics Ltd is a registered UK company and has operated for many years.

Its technology has also received public attention within the online dating, security and fraud prevention industries.

However, saying that the company is legitimate does not mean that every fraud score will be perfect.

Fraud detection involves probabilities and risk signals.

A high-risk result should normally encourage further checking rather than automatically being treated as proof.

Is Scamalytics Accurate?

Scamalytics can provide useful fraud signals, but no fraud detection system should be considered 100% accurate.

Internet networks are complicated.

An IP address does not always represent one person.

Many users can share the same address, particularly when using:

• Mobile networks
• Corporate networks
• VPN services
• Universities
• Public Wi-Fi
• Datacenters

This creates the possibility of false positives.

A legitimate user could sometimes appear risky because of the network they are using.

That is why companies should use multiple fraud signals instead of relying only on one Scamalytics score.

Can Scamalytics Be Wrong?

Yes.

Any automated risk scoring system can sometimes produce a result that does not perfectly describe the current user.

An IP address may have previously been used by someone else.

A VPN server could have thousands of users.

A mobile provider may move customers between shared IP addresses.

Scamalytics itself explains that its system does not see all internet traffic.

Therefore, its results should be understood as an assessment based on available data.

Should Businesses Automatically Block High Scamalytics Scores?

Usually, using only one signal to permanently block someone may be too simple.

A better system can combine different signs.

For example:

• IP fraud score
• Device risk
• Account age
• Payment behaviour
• Login history
• Transaction value
• Email reputation
• Identity checks

If several signals look suspicious, a company may decide to request extra verification.

This approach can reduce fraud while also helping legitimate users avoid unnecessary blocks.

Scamalytics and Online Dating Scams

Dating scams were an important reason Scamalytics was created.

Romance scammers often make fake profiles and build relationships with victims before asking for money.

Fraud detection systems can look for patterns that may appear across multiple scam accounts.

Scamalytics historically worked on tools designed to identify these suspicious profiles and share fraud intelligence between participating services.

This helped the company build experience in analysing online scam behaviour.

Scamalytics Privacy

Fraud detection services can process technical information about internet users.

Scamalytics may work with information such as:

• IP addresses
• Device information
• Browser or user-agent information
• Behaviour-related signals

Businesses using fraud intelligence should always follow the privacy and data protection laws that apply in their country.

Companies should also explain how fraud detection data is used when required by law.

Benefits of Scamalytics

Scamalytics can provide several useful benefits.

Simple Fraud Score

The 0-to-100 system makes risk easier to understand.

VPN and Proxy Detection

Businesses can identify connections that may hide a user’s normal location.

API Access

Companies can automatically check large numbers of IP addresses.

Bulk Checking

Large lists of addresses can be analysed together.

Local Database Option

MMDB access can be useful for businesses needing very fast or high-volume checks.

Multiple Industries

The technology can be used in banking, fintech, payments, dating, marketplaces and cybersecurity.

Possible Limitations of Scamalytics

Scamalytics also has limitations that users should understand.

A Score Is Not Proof

A high fraud score does not prove that someone is a criminal or scammer.

Shared IP Addresses

Many people may use the same network.

VPN False Positives

Legitimate privacy-conscious users may use VPN services.

Data Can Change

IP addresses can move between users or organisations.

No System Sees Everything

Fraud intelligence platforms cannot observe every activity happening across the internet.

These limitations are important when using Scamalytics for real business decisions.

Scamalytics FAQs

What is Scamalytics used for?

Scamalytics is used for IP fraud detection and online risk intelligence. Businesses can use it to identify potentially suspicious internet connections.

Is Scamalytics a scam?

There is no reliable evidence showing that Scamalytics itself is a scam. It is operated by a registered UK company that has existed for many years.

What does a Scamalytics score mean?

The score estimates the fraud risk associated with an IP address or network using information available to Scamalytics.

Is a Scamalytics score of 100 bad?

A score close to 100 represents very high observed risk. However, it does not prove that the current user of the IP has committed fraud.

Why does Scamalytics say my VPN is high risk?

VPN servers can be shared by many users. Some may have previously generated suspicious activity, which can affect the reputation of the IP or network.

Is Scamalytics free?

A public IP checking service is available, while API services have included limited free usage with paid plans for higher volumes.

Does Scamalytics detect VPN connections?

Yes. VPN detection is one of the risk intelligence features offered by Scamalytics.

Does Scamalytics detect proxies?

Yes. Its system can identify many types of proxy and anonymising connections.

Can Scamalytics identify a person?

An IP address alone normally cannot reliably identify a specific person. Scamalytics mainly provides information about the internet connection and its associated risk.

Can Scamalytics make mistakes?

Yes. Like any automated fraud detection platform, false positives and incorrect risk assessments can happen.

Final Thoughts

Scamalytics is an established UK-based fraud intelligence company best known for its IP fraud score and IP address checker.

Its technology helps businesses understand whether an internet connection may have characteristics associated with fraud, VPN use, proxies, Tor, datacenters or suspicious traffic.

Its score of 0 to 100 makes risk information easy to understand, while API, bulk lookup and MMDB products allow businesses to use the technology at a larger scale.

The most important point is simple:

A Scamalytics fraud score is a risk signal, not proof that a person is a scammer.

Companies should use the information together with other fraud prevention tools before making important decisions about an account, transaction or user.