Help

How it works

1. You paste a suspicious message or link, or add a screenshot.
2. We pick out the links, website names, phone numbers, amounts and organisation names in it.
3. We check the links against Google's threat lists and our own records, and compare any organisation named with its official websites. We never open the links.
4. AI reads the message for scam tactics, such as pressure to act fast or requests for an OTP.
5. A fixed set of rules turns that evidence into a score from 0 to 100 and a risk level. The AI never decides the result on its own.

What the results mean

• Critical risk and High risk: strong signs of a scam. Don't click, pay or reply, and never share an OTP, PIN or password.
• Caution: some warning signs. Check with the organisation yourself before you do anything.
• Low risk: No strong scam indicators were detected, but legitimacy cannot be guaranteed. Independently verify payment requests, passwords, OTP requests and changes of bank details.
• Unsure: we couldn't gather enough evidence to judge. It is not a clean bill of health.

KNOWN reasons come from threat lists. SIGN reasons are warning signs we noticed in the message.

I already clicked, paid or shared a code

• Call your bank's fraud line straight away, using the number on the back of your card or in your banking app, and tell them what happened.
• Change the password for any account you entered on the website, and anywhere you use the same password.
• If money was taken, report it at your nearest police station and keep the case number.
• Tell the organisation that was impersonated, using its official app or website.

Someone is threatening to share intimate images

• Don't pay and don't send anything more. Paying rarely makes it stop.
• Stop replying. Block and report the account on the platform where it happened.
• Keep your own copy of the messages as evidence.
• Report it to SAPS: go to your nearest police station, or call SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111. In an emergency, call 10111.

If you're under 18, or this is about someone under 18: you're not in trouble. Talk to a trusted adult, or call Childline South Africa on 116 (free, 24 hours).

Please don't upload the intimate images themselves. If a screenshot you send contains one, we delete it immediately and nobody at IsThisSafe ever looks at it.

Questions

Why don't you ever say a message is "safe"? Because nobody can guarantee that. Scams change every day, so even a low result is a reason to verify, not a promise.

Is AI used? Yes. Checks use AI (Claude, made by Anthropic) and fixed rules. The AI helps spot warning signs and write the explanation; fixed rules decide the risk level. If you'd like a person to look at a result, email info@dreamachine.co.za with the result link.

Your business was flagged by mistake? Our results describe a message, for example “it claims to be from your bank but the link goes elsewhere”. They don't say that a named business or person is a criminal. If you think a result or our records wrongly connect your business, website or phone number to a scam, email info@dreamachine.co.za with the details and how to reach you. A person reviews it within 5 business days, and we correct or remove the record if it's wrong. See also our complaints process.

Do you keep my messages? Your original message and screenshot are deleted within 24 hours. We keep the result without your personal details. See our privacy policy.

Can I delete a check? Yes. Use "Delete this check" on the result page, on the device you used, or delete it from your account.

What counts as a check? Each message, link or screenshot you submit is one check.

What if I run out of checks? Buy a top-up from your account: a once-off payment for extra checks, no subscription. Top-up checks are used after your monthly or free checks, are shared on a family plan, and don't expire while your account exists. See Pricing.

How do I cancel my plan? From your account, at any time. See our terms for the 7-day cooling-off period.

Still stuck? Email info@dreamachine.co.za.