Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is refer.org legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns refer.org?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for refer.org. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 31 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · 1 registrar change since Sep 25, 2011 · no registrant change on record since 2011 · last checked Aug 26, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredMay 18, 1995refer.org was registered on May 18, 1995.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 26, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Dec 31, 2007An AboutUs wiki page described refer.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Dec 31, 2007 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023Said about itself in 2006Jul 1, 2006“information scientifique et technique en français. AUF, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, Paris, France”
Registrar
Gandi SAS (R42-LROR)Sep 25, 2011 – Apr 15, 2014Registrar Gandi SAS (R42-LROR) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for refer.org, from Sep 25, 2011 to Apr 15, 2014.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)GANDI SAS
Registrant
Registrant recordsSep 25, 2011 – May 17, 2026Registration records for refer.org are held from Sep 25, 2011 to May 17, 2026 (86 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No registrant changes recorded, 2011–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: auf.org, refer.orgNameservers: auf.org, refer.orgSep 25, 2011 – Nov 20, 2024Registration records listed auf.org, refer.org nameservers (ns1.ca.auf.org, ns1.refer.org, ns2.refer.org) for refer.org from Sep 25, 2011 to Nov 20, 2024.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Let's EncryptApr 10, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 8 certificates for refer.org from Apr 10, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 6, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (11)
May 18, 1995Registration: refer.org was registered on May 18, 1995.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 26, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Dec 31, 2007AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described refer.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Dec 31, 2007 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “information scientifique et technique en français. AUF, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, Paris, France”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Sep 25, 2011 – Apr 15, 2014Registrar: Registrar Gandi SAS (R42-LROR) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for refer.org, from Sep 25, 2011 to Apr 15, 2014.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Sep 25, 2011 – May 17, 2026Registrant: Registration records for refer.org are held from Sep 25, 2011 to May 17, 2026 (86 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Sep 25, 2011 – Nov 20, 2024Registration records listed auf.org, refer.org nameservers (ns1.ca.auf.org, ns1.refer.org, ns2.refer.org) for refer.org from Sep 25, 2011 to Nov 20, 2024.
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJul 3, 2026 – Aug 26, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 26, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
GANDI SAS
Jul 22, 2016 – Oct 9, 2026 (latest)
Registrar GANDI SAS (IANA 81) in the registration data recorded, first on Jul 22, 2016 and most recently on Oct 9, 2026.
Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 26, 2026
Nameservers: auf.org, gandi.net, refer.orgJan 5, 2025 – May 17, 2026Registration records listed auf.org, gandi.net, refer.org nameservers (ns1.ca.auf.org, ns1.refer.org, ns6.gandi.net) for refer.org from Jan 5, 2025 to May 17, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to auf.org, gandi.net, refer.orgJan 5, 2025refer.org's nameservers moved from auf.org, refer.org to auf.org, gandi.net, refer.org at some point between Nov 20, 2024 and Jan 5, 2025. Last seen at auf.org, refer.org: Nov 20, 2024 (registration record). First seen at auf.org, gandi.net, refer.org: Jan 5, 2025 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 46 days in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Zone file:
Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jul 22, 2016 – Oct 9, 2026Registrar: Registrar GANDI SAS (IANA 81) in the registration data recorded, first on Jul 22, 2016 and most recently on Oct 9, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 26, 2026
Jan 5, 2025 – May 17, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed auf.org, gandi.net, refer.org nameservers (ns1.ca.auf.org, ns1.refer.org, ns6.gandi.net) for refer.org from Jan 5, 2025 to May 17, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jan 5, 2025Zone file: refer.org's nameservers moved from auf.org, refer.org to auf.org, gandi.net, refer.org at some point between Nov 20, 2024 and Jan 5, 2025. Last seen at auf.org, refer.org: Nov 20, 2024 (registration record). First seen at auf.org, gandi.net, refer.org: Jan 5, 2025 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 46 days in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Apr 10, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 8 certificates for refer.org from Apr 10, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 6, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Jul 3, 2026 – Aug 26, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 26, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (failed)
Make sure the site responds over HTTPS with a valid certificate.
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered May 18, 1995 — 31 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: Gandi SAS — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Jul 23, 2026).
Authority 44/100— ahead of 44% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
44 is a percentile: higher than 44% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #464,159)+5
Verified continuity: 31.5 years (RDAP registration)+11
Security & email hygiene+2
Calibration adjustment (published map)+6
Model score: 24/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 44/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 73 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 73 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
Recorded HTTPS check did not confirm a valid connection
Missing DMARC (mild)
What refer.org said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
information scientifique et technique en français. AUF, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, Paris, France
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.