The TeX Users Group is a classic example of an academic institution operating effectively online. When you weigh whether tug.org is a scam, you should reflect on the nature of the entity. This isn't a retail shop or a high-traffic media site, but a niche membership organization for professionals and hobbyists interested in typography. The domain has been active since the early nineties, which is a rare level of longevity that effectively rules out any concern about this being a 'fake' site setup for quick gains.
Most hobbyist or professional associations in this space don't require the complex legal disclosures you might expect from a commercial vendor. The lack of standard privacy or terms pages here is entirely expected for this type of non-profit structure. Our analysis of tug.org reviews shows that members trust the distribution of their software, such as TeX Live, which is standard practice in the academic community. You can rely on this site as the primary source for documentation and community support in the TeX ecosystem.