A scam website can be older than the scam itself

A 15-year-old domain can still host a phishing website.

People often check a domain's registration date to decide whether a website is trustworthy.

But scammers can:

• Compromise an established website
• Purchase an old domain
• Buy an expired domain and re-register it

So a domain registered years ago could be hosting a phishing page created yesterday.

3 practical checks

1. Check the actual URL: Look for unexpected domains, subdomains and paths.
2. Examine website history: Use the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine to see what the site previously hosted.
3. Verify independently: For sensitive transactions, access the organisation through a previously trusted website or app.

The takeaway: Domain age is useful context, but it doesn't prove a website is safe.