January 14, 2026
Clickbait, but make it cursed
The URL shortener that makes your links look as suspicious as possible
Internet’s shadiest link toy has HN in stitches — and nobody’s clicking
TLDR: A prank URL shortener deliberately makes safe links look like malware downloads. Commenters laughed, refused to click, and debated whether it’s harmless comedy or phishing awareness, with Digg nostalgia and old HN threads fueling the fun—proof that sketchy vibes are the new click deterrent.
There’s a new link-shortening prank making the rounds: instead of making web addresses neat, it turns them into cursed strings that scream “virus alert!” The community reaction? A split between gleeful chaos and absolute paranoia. One camp is howling; the other is hovering a full inch away from their mouse.
The clown car started with users transforming friendly pages into horror-movie URLs. One commenter turned Facebook into a “account_verification.vbs” nightmare, while another got an even spicier “download_now.bat.” Cue the chorus of “lol nope.” CrimsonCape summed the mood: “I’m not clicking any link,” which instantly became the thread’s unofficial slogan. Others cheered the absurdity like it’s the internet’s version of a haunted house—safe from a distance, terrifying up close.
There’s drama, of course. Some say it’s a public service reminding people not to trust sketchy links. Others worry this gag could train folks to ignore real red flags. Nostalgia bubbled up too: dreadsword spotted it on relaunched Digg, and gnabgib linked to a 2023 HN classic where dodgy-looking shorteners first stole hearts. In the end, it’s peak internet: pranksters pushing buttons, security nerds clutching pearls, and a comment section chanting, “funny, but don’t click.”
Key Points
- •The article introduces a URL shortener that intentionally makes links look suspicious.
- •It contrasts these outputs with typical, trustworthy-looking links.
- •The tool is presented as a way to create creepy-looking URLs.
- •The focus is on link appearance rather than providing technical details.
- •The article offers a brief concept overview without implementation specifics.