Some servers fake their player counts, buy votes, or promise things they don't have. Most of these tricks leave clear signs, and you can check a server yourself in a few minutes before you spend your time or money there.
Faked player counts
The player count you see in your server list comes from the server itself. The server answers a ping with a number, and nothing stops it from answering with any number it likes. Warning signs:
- The count never moves. A real server goes up in the evening and down at night. A number that stays the same for hours is suspicious.
- Round numbers. Exactly 1,000 or 5,000 online, every time you look.
- Odd player samples. Hovering over the count in your multiplayer menu shows a few names. If they look generated, like random letters and numbers, or the list is replaced by an advert, be careful.
- A huge max players. "4,812 / 99,999" is not a real limit. Real servers usually set a number they can actually handle.
- Busy count, empty world. You join and spawn is empty, chat is silent, and
/listor the tab list shows only a handful of people.
Bought votes
Server lists rank servers by votes, so some owners buy them or use bots. The clearest sign is a mismatch: thousands of votes a month but only a few players online. Votes should roughly follow the size of a community. Honest servers reward votes with small in-game items, which is fine; see how voting works for what normal looks like.
Fake version support
A banner saying "1.8 – 1.21 supported" sounds great, but some servers only really work on one version, or older clients connect and then hit broken blocks and kicks. If you play on an older or newer version, test it yourself or check a list that tests logins per version.
Pay-to-win hidden behind ranks
The Minecraft Usage Guidelines don't allow servers to sell competitive gameplay advantages, but some still do, often dressed up as "ranks". Open the server's store before you get attached and look at what each rank includes. Red flags:
- Kits with enchanted gear, or
/flyin survival - Extra hearts, stronger effects or money multipliers
- Paid crate keys that drop gear better than you can get by playing
- Store pages that only show prices, with the perks hidden behind "contact us"
Cosmetics, prefixes and chat colours are normal and allowed. The owner's side of these rules is explained in how to make money with a server.
Scams to watch for
- Giveaways that ask for your account login. No real server needs your Microsoft password or email code. Anyone who asks is trying to steal your account.
- "Free rank" links. Links in chat or Discord DMs that send you to a login page or ask you to "verify" your account. Close them.
- Custom launchers and "cracked" clients. Some servers ask you to download their own launcher or a cracked Minecraft. These are a common way to spread malware. Use the official launcher, or a well-known open-source launcher if the server is non-premium.
- Mods and "clients" from unknown sites. Only download mods from Modrinth, CurseForge or the official project page. Our guide to using mods on a server has the safe way.
- Staff asking you to pay them directly. Real servers sell through their official store, not through a moderator's personal account.
Lookalike servers and fake logins
Some servers copy the name and spawn of a well-known server, or use an address that is one letter off. On a non-premium server they then ask you to /register or /login with a password. If you reuse that password elsewhere, the owner now has it. Always type addresses from the server's official website or Discord, and never use your Microsoft password as an in-game password.
A premium server never needs your Microsoft password at all: Mojang checks your account when you join. If a server that should be premium suddenly asks you to log in with a password, leave and check the address.
Bait and switch
The description promises a fresh SMP with friendly staff. You join and find a lobby, three half-finished modes and a store link in every chat message. Other versions of this: "launching soon" servers that collect votes and store purchases but never open, or a "1.21 survival" that is a copy of a free map. Screenshots on a server page should match what you see when you join. If they don't, trust what you see.
Fake reviews
Reviews can be faked too. Be careful when every review is five stars, posted on the same days, short and vague ("best server ever!!"). Real reviews mention specific things: a staff member who helped, a lag problem that got fixed, a mode that felt grindy. A few honest complaints mixed in with praise is usually a good sign, not a bad one.
How to check a server yourself
- Ping it a few times. Use our server status checker at different times of day. Does the player count change in a believable way?
- Join and look around. Is anyone at spawn? Is chat moving? Does
/listmatch the count you saw? - Check the Discord. An active server has recent messages from many different people, not only announcements and giveaways.
- Read the store before you invest your time.
- Read reviews from other players, and look for patterns rather than one angry comment.
If you think you have been scammed
- Change your Microsoft account password right away, and turn on two-step verification.
- Change any password you reused on that server.
- If you paid, contact the store's payment provider with your receipt.
- If you ran a file from the server, scan your PC with a trusted antivirus.
- Report the server to the list where you found it, with screenshots.
What CraftRank does about it
We can't stop a server from lying in its ping, but we can make it obvious. Here is what CraftRank checks automatically:
- Regular pings. Every server is pinged every few minutes, so the player graph on its page shows real ups and downs over days and weeks.
- Fake counts left out. When a server's player count looks faked, we leave it out of our player totals, so it can't climb the list with made-up numbers.
- Version tests. We test which game versions can actually log in, instead of trusting the version text in the description.
- Non-premium check. We check automatically whether non-premium (cracked) accounts can join, so the label on the page is tested, not claimed.
- Uptime. Each page shows how often the server was online when we checked.
- Loyalty ranking. We count how many new players are still playing a week after they first joined. Votes can be bought; returning players can't. It is one of the most honest signals of a server people actually enjoy.
- 3D spawn preview. Some servers let you walk around their spawn in 3D right on their page, so you can see the server before you join.
Find a good one instead
Most servers are run honestly by people who care about their players. Once you know the warning signs, you can skip the few that aren't. For help choosing, read how to find the right Minecraft server, or browse the best servers this month.