Privacy Policy
Last updated: [Date] | Effective date: [Date]
Who we are
SCAM Mate is operated by [Your Business Name], ABN [Your ABN], based in Australia. When we say "we", "us", or "our", we mean [Your Business Name].
Privacy contact: [privacy@scammate.com.au or your preferred contact]
What SCAM Mate does
SCAM Mate helps you check whether a message, screenshot, email, or link might be a scam. You submit content, our AI analyses it, and you get a result. That's the full extent of what we do with your data.
What we collect (and what we don't)
Data you submit for analysis
When you use SCAM Mate, you may submit screenshots, text messages, emails, URLs, or questions. This content is:
- Sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) for analysis
- Checked against URL threat databases (Google Safe Browsing and VirusTotal) if URLs are detected
- Deleted after your analysis is complete
- Never stored in a database
- Never used to train AI models
We do not ask for, and do not want, your name, email address, phone number, or any other personal identifier.
A note about URLs and VirusTotal
When we check a URL against VirusTotal, that URL may become part of VirusTotal's public security database. This is how VirusTotal works: submissions from security tools like ours help build a shared threat database that protects the wider community.
What this means for you: security researchers and other VirusTotal users could see that a particular URL was checked. This is a good thing for scam prevention, as it helps flag dangerous links faster. However, the URL itself (not your identity, your message, or any other content) may be publicly visible.
Worth knowing: Some phishing links contain personalised information, such as your email address or an account ID embedded in the URL (e.g. fakebank.com/verify?email=you@example.com). If you submit a URL like this, those personal details within the URL could become discoverable in VirusTotal's database. To avoid this, you can paste the message text rather than the link, or remove any personal details from the URL before submitting.
We do not control VirusTotal's data retention or access policies. You can review their privacy policy at virustotal.com/privacy.
Server and infrastructure logs
Our hosting provider (Vercel) and backend infrastructure (Supabase) automatically generate server logs as part of normal operations. These may include:
- IP addresses
- Request timestamps
- Browser type and operating system
- Request URLs and response codes
These logs exist for security monitoring, error detection, and debugging. They are retained according to each provider's standard retention policies and are not used for marketing, profiling, or any purpose beyond keeping the service running securely.
Analytics
We use basic analytics to understand general usage patterns, such as which pages are visited and overall traffic volume. Our analytics:
- Do not track individual users
- Do not create user profiles
- Do not use tracking cookies
- Do not collect personally identifiable information
Third parties we share data with
We only share your data with services required to perform the scam analysis.
| Service | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (Claude AI) | Your submitted text/images | AI-powered scam analysis |
| Google Safe Browsing | URLs found in your submission | Checks URLs against known threat databases |
| VirusTotal | URLs found in your submission | Checks URLs against security vendor databases |
| Vercel | Server logs (IP, request data) | Hosting infrastructure |
| Supabase | Server logs (IP, request data) | Backend infrastructure |
- Anthropic does not use data submitted through their API to train their models.
- Google Safe Browsing and VirusTotal receive only URLs, not the full content of your submission.
- URLs submitted to VirusTotal may become part of their public security database. We do not sell, rent, or share your data with advertisers, data brokers, or any other third party.
Cookies
SCAM Mate does not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party cookies. If any essential cookies are required for the site to function (such as session management), they contain no personal information and are not used for tracking.
Your rights
Under Australian privacy law (the Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles), you have the right to:
- Access any personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of any inaccurate information
- Complain if you believe we have mishandled your information
Since we do not collect or store personal information beyond transient server logs, there is typically nothing to access or correct. However, if you have concerns, please contact us.
If you are located in the EU/EEA, you may also have rights under GDPR. If you are in California, you may have rights under CCPA. Given our minimal data collection, these rights are largely satisfied by design.
Data retention
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Submitted content (text, images, URLs) | Deleted immediately after analysis |
| AI analysis results | Not stored |
| Server logs (Vercel) | Per Vercel's standard retention (typically 30 days) |
| Infrastructure logs (Supabase) | Per Supabase's standard retention |
| Analytics data | Aggregated, non-identifiable |
Security
Your submissions are transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS). Processing occurs in secure, transient environments. We follow security best practices for our hosting and infrastructure configuration.
Children's privacy
SCAM Mate is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through our service, please contact us.
International data transfers
Your data may be processed by our third-party providers in jurisdictions outside Australia, including the United States. Each provider listed above maintains appropriate security measures for international data transfers. By using SCAM Mate, you acknowledge this processing.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact us
If you have questions about this privacy policy or how SCAM Mate handles your data:
[Your Business Name]
ABN: [Your ABN]
Email: [your privacy contact email]
If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).