How Guardia works

Copy the message into the box, add a screenshot of it, or tell us what happened in your own words — like a call you weren't sure about.

Guardia reads what you shared and looks for the signs scammers rely on: pressure to act fast, requests for money or codes, and links that don't match who the message says it's from. It also looks up the links and phone numbers it finds, and looks for official advice about the kind of scam the message resembles.

No jargon. You'll see one clear answer, the reasons behind it, and one thing to do next.

We compare links with public lists of websites that have been reported for phishing or for spreading harmful software, and with Google's Safe Browsing when it's available. We also notice links that imitate a well-known company's address. We never open your links.

We can tell you how many people reported unwanted calls from a number to the US Federal Trade Commission in the last 30 days. Those reports aren't verified, and scammers sometimes fake real numbers, so a report is a reason for caution, not proof.

We keep a library of scam advice published by US government agencies. When a message looks like a known kind of scam, we use it to explain why, and link to the source under “Where this comes from.”

The lists are refreshed regularly. If a list hasn't been updated for three days, Guardia stops using it rather than rely on old information.

New scams appear all the time, and most never reach any list. When a link or number isn't on a list, we say nothing about it, and that is not a sign that it's safe. A message can look clean to these checks and still be a scam.

We didn't find signs of a scam. If something still feels off, trust that feeling and check another way.

We found signs this may be a scam. We'll show what we noticed and what to do next.

Some messages can't be judged from the words alone. When that happens we'll say so, and suggest a way to check it yourself, rather than guess.

Guardia can be wrong. If something worries you, confirm with the company using a phone number you already trust, such as the one on your card or statement.

A clear screenshot that shows the whole message works best. If it's too blurry or cut off to read, we'll say so and suggest a clearer one. Everything visible in the picture is read, so crop out anything private first. Your history keeps only the text we read from it, never the picture.

After a check, you can tell us you already clicked or responded. We'll walk you through what to do, one step at a time, with no judgment. Scammers do this for a living, and it can happen to anyone.