SegWit address organization website link shows now a suspicious website

[Telegram_invite]

Hello, dear coders! (I'm not a coder but I have a question)

SegWit address organization is not longer existing and I noticed it, when I have copied manually an old link in my browser https field to create a SegWit address.
Entering it, it just resulted in showing a really suspicious website, I have not noted it but it's "socialsurveysrequests" or similar. 

It's old SegWit address organization website link:

Code:

https://segwitaddress.org/bech32

Can you tell me:
- if you also get a suspicious site and what website?
- if my device is now compromised by hackers?
- it's normal link re-direction / why does it happen?
- why can it be allowed for internet to put up such suspiciuos websites, it's not regulated, we have 2024!?


CAUTION, PLZ ONLY DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED CODER!

[hosseinimr93]

I have never used the website in question and I would avoid it even if it was working.
You should never use online websites for generating a bitcoin address.

If you want to have a bech32 bitcoin address, install a trustworthy open source wallet like electrum or Sparrow and create a wallet. In this way, you can have multiple addresses all generated from a seed phrase.
For more security, It's recommended to generate your wallet offline on an air-gapped device.

[NotFuzzyWarm]

I have never used the website in question and I would avoid it even if it was working.
You should never use online websites for generating a bitcoin address.

The 1 caveat to that would be using a WIDELY TRUSTED on-line exchange that you have an account with. While 'still not your keys' it is the only on-line kind of site I would ever use.

The major issue with using any online site like the OP posted is that you have zero assurance that someone who works at the site won't keep a copy of the private keys that users create. A couple years ago an on-line Vanity Address generator site did exactly that to users that it accumulated for several years.. One day folks woke up to find any BTC sitting at the address was gone.  

[Telegram_invite]

I have never used the website in question and I would avoid it even if it was working.
You should never use online websites for generating a bitcoin address.

If you want to have a bech32 bitcoin address, install a trustworthy open source wallet like electrum or Sparrow and create a wallet. In this way, you can have multiple addresses all generated from a seed phrase.
For more security, It's recommended to generate your wallet offline on an air-gapped device.

I have Electrum.

But can you tell me:

Can you tell me:
- if you also get a suspicious site and what website?
- if my device is now compromised by hackers?
- it's normal link re-direction / why does it happen?
- why can it be allowed for internet to put up such suspiciuos websites, it's not regulated, we have 2024!?

[NotFuzzyWarm]

@OP

...
- why can it be allowed for internet to put up such suspiciuos websites, it's not regulated, we have 2024!?

Use a decent AV program such as Malwarebytes and you get clear warning of dangerous sites and it blocks their actions unless you specifically tell it to continue... What you do from there is up to you.

As for the regulation etc of sites... Learn what the internet is and how it works! To a very large extent there are no global rules and regulations controlling it and NEVER should be. Period. Individual countries *can* try to control how the internet works in their country but usually their control is also balanced by not explicitly censoring (most) content and for the most part leaving it up to the users to use what should be common sense and know how to avoid malware.

Countries such as China, Russia, North Korea et al are tightly controlled and so is internet there... Would you want to live under that kind of control? I sure as hell wouldn't.

[ABCbits]

Can you tell me:
- if you also get a suspicious site and what website?
- if my device is now compromised by hackers?
- it's normal link re-direction / why does it happen?
- why can it be allowed for internet to put up such suspiciuos websites, it's not regulated, we have 2024!?


CAUTION, PLZ ONLY DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED CODER!

I think only security expert who've audited that website in past who can answer question 1-2 with high certainty. If you're very paranoid, re-install OS or factory reset your device.

- it's normal link re-direction / why does it happen?

It's common behavior for domain owned by certain domain service, where they perform redirect for advertising purpose.

- why can it be allowed for internet to put up such suspiciuos websites, it's not regulated, we have 2024!?

There are some regulation to prevent scam and other crime on internet. But in short, there's no way to actively monitor all website on internet.

[nc50lc]

Entering it, it just resulted in showing a really suspicious website, I have not noted it but it's "socialsurveysrequests" or similar.

Does it show in the URL bar that you've been redirected to that site or it just displays as a huge text on the center?
Because the domain currently shows Godaddy's "CashParking" links (may show different links), and you may have just seen that website's name.
Anyways, it shouldn't automatically redirect the user to any of the advertised links.

If yes, and you're actually redirected, your device/machine may have been infected by a malware that sets a malicious proxy or other methods.
If not, the owner must have parked the domain while still looking for passive income. (used the mentioned parking service)

[Telegram_invite]

The 1 caveat to that would be using a WIDELY TRUSTED on-line exchange that you have an account with. While 'still not your keys' it is the only on-line kind of site I would ever use.

There is no such thing as a "trusted centralized exchange" let alone a widely trusted CEX. There are only CEX that have not yet been hacked or scammed. There is no logical reason to use one when you want to create a bitcoin address! Their only usage is for traders.

No off-topic plz, Sir! Discussion here is not about centralized exchange!



From all answers, your answers are most helpful.

@OP

...
- why can it be allowed for internet to put up such suspiciuos websites, it's not regulated, we have 2024!?

Use a decent AV program such as Malwarebytes and you get clear warning of dangerous sites... What you do from there is up to you.

But it happened when I entered SegWit address organization website link and instead of showing SegWit address organization website, it showed a different website.
I have not clicked any button, of course.
I have just entered SegWit address organization website link:

Code:

https://segwitaddress.org/bech32

And when entering it, a different website appears.

- it's normal link re-direction / why does it happen?

It's common behavior for domain owned by certain domain service, where they perform redirect for advertising purpose.

So, it is only normal redirect for advertising purpose because SegWit address organization is no longer active like Satoshi because job is done?
Should be safe, if it's a commercial purpose? Or is it harmful?

Entering it, it just resulted in showing a really suspicious website, I have not noted it but it's "socialsurveysrequests" or similar.

Does it show in the URL bar that you've been redirected to that site or it just displays as a huge text on the center?

It shows no indication sign to be a redirect.
It just shows a website URL in URL bar.
But it was not official SegWit address organization website, it was a completely different website.

I have just entered as usually to create a SegWit address:

Code:

https://segwitaddress.org/bech32

And when entering it, a different website appears and url is different suddenly.

Because the domain currently shows Godaddy's "CashParking" links (may show different links), and you may have just seen that website's name.

Okay, so should be safe if it's for commercial purpose?
Because I just have entered SegWit address organization website link as usually.

If yes, and you're actually redirected, your device/machine may have been infected by a malware that sets a malicious proxy or other methods.
If not, the owner must have parked the domain while still looking for passive income. (used the mentioned parking service)

If what yes / no?
I just have entered official SegWit address organization website link

Code:

https://segwitaddress.org/bech32

And when entering it, it shows a different, suspicious website. 

But your help @nc50lc, @ABCbits and @NotFuzzyWarm is already somewhat helpful. 

[NotFuzzyWarm]

@OP
my guess is that the site may have been hijacked? Ja redirection is common but usually that is within the original site domain you used to get there. Searching google for that site returns "No information available" so not a good sign. No matter what I would be highly suspicious as you rightly are. edit Malwarebytes blocks it reporting

Website blocked due to riskware

Website blocked: track.tychon.bid
Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocked this website because it may contain malware activity.
We strongly recommend you do not continue.

For convenience sake I do use Coinbase as an exchange and for generating receiving addresses but of course regularly sweep them to my hardware wallet and load from it into Coinbase whatever amount I am going to spend/exchange. Very little is ever there for long. Main advantage to an exchange is easy records keeping including required tax information but enough about that

I long ago used an offline Vanity Generator program to create my vanity address and imported that to Coinbase so I easily know if there has been any donations (hint hint?) Last one was from a dust attack a year or so ago that was sent to scores of addresses, was like 0.00001BTC or whatever the absolute minimum is.

[nc50lc]

Does it show in the URL bar that you've been redirected to that site or it just displays as a huge text on the center?

It shows no indication sign to be a redirect.
It just shows a website URL in URL bar.
But it was not official SegWit address organization website, it was a completely different website.

Then it's the former "If yes", but the site seem to behave unexpectedly so it must be the assumption above that it may have been hijacked or just a new owner with malicious intent.
The default is it's displaying the parked landing page with ads but often (may be conditionally) redirect to different questionable sites.

BTW, the original website wasn't an official organization for SegWit Address but only in name.

[ABCbits]

- it's normal link re-direction / why does it happen?

It's common behavior for domain owned by certain domain service, where they perform redirect for advertising purpose.

So, it is only normal redirect for advertising purpose because SegWit address organization is no longer active like Satoshi because job is done?

It's because who used to own segwitaddress.org domain doesn't perform domain renewal, which costs some money. In addition, there's no thing such as official organization for SegWit or Bitcoin since Bitcoin supposed to be decentralized.

Should be safe, if it's a commercial purpose? Or is it harmful?

AFAIK it's not harmful since it's currently operated by GoDaddy, which is popular domain/web hosting service for >20 years.