How Scam Checker Works: Pattern Detection Explained
Our tool analyses text for patterns commonly used by scammers targeting Australians. Here's what happens behind the scenes.
1. Analyse Key Patterns
When you paste a URL, email, or text message, our system scans the text for specific "signals". These include high-pressure language ("act now"), known scam keywords (like "gift card" payments), and attempts to impersonate legitimate organisations like banks, AusPost, or the ATO.
2. Check Red Flag Database
We cross-reference the content against a database of known suspicious patterns. For example, if a message claims to be from "Australia Post" but asks you to pay a fee via a strange link, that's a massive red flag. We also check technical details like URL structures to spot fake websites.
3. Instant Safety Score
Based on these findings, we give you a simple risk score: Low, Medium, or High. We also explain exactly why we gave that score and provide clear, actionable steps on what to do next (like "block the number" or "contact your bank").
4. Browser-Based Processing
The analysis runs in your browser, not on our servers. This means your content stays private. We don't store what you paste unless you explicitly report it to help others. Even then, data is anonymised before storage.
Important Limitations
No automated tool is perfect. Scammers constantly evolve their tactics. Our tool may occasionally miss new scam variants (false negatives) or flag legitimate messages as suspicious (false positives). Always verify sensitive requests through official channels — for example, call your bank using the number on your card, not a number from a suspicious message.