Tutorial 6 of 8
Triage a suspicious message and its lookalike domains
Intermediate 6 min
Check an e-mail or SMS for scam signals without opening the links, then inspect the linked domains — age, certificates, DNS — as targets.
The Lab (key 7) has a Suspicious messages section. It combines the scam-signal checker with the domain checks of Signalhouse.
1. Add the message
Open the template Suspicious message triage, or in the Lab open Add a message. Paste the full text, the sender address or number, and optionally the links (copy them with Copy link address — never click them). Press Add message, then Check message.
The result lists the warning signs with their weight: lookalike or homoglyph domains imitating a brand, a brand named while the link goes elsewhere, small “release fees”, urgency, requests for passwords or TANs. The signal score is the tool's, from 0 to 100.
2. Turn the links into targets
The button Add … linked domains as targets adds the registrable domains of the links (and of the sender's e-mail address) to the project, tagged message. Signalhouse never opens these pages.
3. Inspect them
Press Run all. The template's suite fits the question:
- Domain history — registration date and registrar from RDAP. A domain registered a few days ago is a strong sign; Signalhouse adds a finding when it is younger than three months. No registration data at all often means the domain is gone or was never registered.
- Certificate history — when certificates were issued for the name, and for which other names.
- DNS & certificate — whether the domain still resolves. “… does not resolve” is a normal answer for a phishing domain that has already been taken down.
4. Report
The scam checker's advice (in the message result) lists what to do and where to report. Export → Markdown report or Print report gives you a record with dates. Keep personal data out of shared links: the message text is part of the project.
Ready to try it?