📖 Content moderation glossary
What is a phishing link?
In short
A phishing link is a link to a fraudulent website that imitates a trusted service, such as a bank, delivery company or brand, in order to steal login details, payment information or personal data.
In comment sections, phishing links are often disguised: shortened URLs, lookalike domain names, or a message inviting readers to 'check your account status' or 'claim your refund'. They frequently appear in replies to complaints, posing as customer support.
Example: a customer complains under an airline's Facebook post about a cancelled flight. Minutes later, an account called 'Airline Help Desk' replies with a link to a fake refund form that asks for card details.
Because the damage is immediate and concrete, phishing links should be hidden as soon as they are detected, without waiting for a report. Automated moderation is well suited to this: OpenModeration hides clear violations automatically, which includes obvious scam and phishing comments, and keeps a reason for each decision in the activity log.