Everything you need to know — from what happens the moment you install, to protecting a parent and understanding what our warnings mean.
Getting started
What happens after you install
Most of your protection is already on the moment Scam SafeGuard is installed. You don't need to configure anything to be protected.
Already working from the moment you install: links on social media and in your email and messages are checked before they open, and every page you visit is checked as it loads.
Here's a quick picture of what Scam SafeGuard does, and which parts need you to take action:
All three protection types are already on when you install — no setup needed.
1
Automatic protection — nothing for you to doLinks on Facebook, your web-based inbox (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail & more), and WhatsApp Web are checked before they open. A quiet background checker also keeps an eye on every page you visit.
2
On-demand tools — use when you want toRight-click any link and choose "Scan Link with Scam SafeGuard" to check it. Or paste a suspicious text message into the extension and we'll check every link in it.
3
Settings — only if you want to change somethingThe default settings work well for most people. You can adjust your warning level, add a Caregiver Lock PIN, or manage your safe list at any time.
Automatic protection
Nothing for you to do
Links on social media
When you click a link on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, or WhatsApp Web, Scam SafeGuard checks it before the page opens.
You don't do anything. If the link is safe, the page opens normally. If something looks wrong, you'll see a warning first.
This is where most scams come from. Fake giveaways, too-good-to-be-true deals, and fake parcel delivery notices all travel via social media. This protection warns you before they can do any harm.
Automatic protection
Nothing for you to do
Links in your email and messages
When you click a link inside your web-based inbox (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail & more), WhatsApp Web, or Google Messages on your computer, Scam SafeGuard checks the destination before it opens.
You don't do anything. Your bank, AusPost, myGov and thousands of other well-known sites are recognised instantly and open straight away with no delay. For anything unfamiliar, we check it quietly and let it open if nothing looks wrong — or show a warning if it's not.
We check your links — not your emails. Scam SafeGuard checks where a link points to. It does not read your emails, see who sent them, or read what the message says. This is how the feature is designed to work.
This works in web versions only. Your web-based inbox (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail & more), WhatsApp Web, and Google Messages in your Chrome browser. The native apps on your phone work differently — see "How to check a text message from your phone" below.
Automatic protection
Nothing for you to do
Fake online shops
Scam SafeGuard watches for websites pretending to be real shops — brand-new sites set up overnight with stolen logos and made-up reviews. If you land on one, you'll see a warning before you enter your card details.
You don't do anything. The background checker quietly checks every page you visit and alerts you if something looks like a fake shop.
On-demand tool
You choose when to use this
How to check any link yourself
You can check any link you see in your Chrome browser — without clicking it — by right-clicking and asking Scam SafeGuard to check it for you.
1
Find a link you want to checkAny link on any webpage in Chrome — a search result, a link in an article, a button on a website.
2
Right-click the link (don't left-click)A small menu will appear. On a Mac, you can also hold Control and click.
3
Choose "Scan Link with Scam SafeGuard"Look for this option near the bottom of the right-click menu.
4
See what we findWe check the web address against our threat data and show you what we find — so you can decide whether to continue, before you visit it.
Useful when you're not sure about a link and want to check before clicking. Great for search results, links in online articles, or anything you've been sent and opened in the browser.
Right-click any link in Chrome and choose "Scan Link with Scam SafeGuard" to check it before you open it. The option appears in the right-click menu.
On-demand tool
You choose when to use this
How to check a text message from your phone
Got a suspicious text on your phone? Scam SafeGuard can't run on phones, but there's a simple way to check any message — copy it, and paste it into the extension on your computer.
1
Copy the suspicious text messageOn your phone, press and hold the message until the copy option appears. Tap "Copy."
2
Open Scam SafeGuard on your computerClick the Scam SafeGuard shield icon in the top-right corner of Chrome. If you don't see it, click the puzzle piece icon and find Scam SafeGuard.
3
Click the "Check a Message" tabYou'll see it at the top of the extension popup.
4
Paste the message and tap CheckClick in the text box and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) to paste. Then click "Check."
5
See which links are safe and which aren'tWe'll check every link in the message and show you the result for each one.
This works for any message — not just texts. WhatsApp messages, emails forwarded to you, anything suspicious. If it's got a link in it, paste it here and we'll check it.
Copy the suspicious message on your phone. On your computer, open the extension, go to "Check a Message," paste the text, and tap Check. Results appear for every link in the message.
Helping a parent check a text? You can do this for them — copy the message from their phone, paste it into Scam SafeGuard on your computer, and tell them the result. It takes about 30 seconds.
On-demand tool
You choose when to use this
The "Check Links" button in your inbox
When you're reading an email in your web-based inbox (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail & more), Scam SafeGuard adds a "Check Links" button near the top of the email. Clicking it checks every link in that email at once and shows you the results.
1
Open an email in your web-based inboxIn your Chrome browser, open the email you want to check.
2
Look for the "Check Links" buttonIt appears near the top of the email, added by Scam SafeGuard.
3
Click "Check Links"We'll check every link in the email and show you which are safe and which to avoid.
Useful when you get an email that looks a bit off and want to check all the links before clicking any of them. Good for newsletters, unexpected delivery notices, or anything from an unfamiliar sender.
Understanding Scam SafeGuard
What our warnings mean
When Scam SafeGuard spots something, you'll see one of three types of warnings. A warning isn't a disaster — it's us doing our job. You can always go back to safety if you see one.
The three warning states you may see. Most links are safe and open normally with nothing shown. When we show a warning, you can always go back to safety.
✓ Safe — page opens normally
We checked and everything looks fine. The page opens as usual, with nothing shown. Most links will be in this category.
⚠ This site looks unusual
Something caught our attention — the website might be brand new, have an unusual address, or show other warning signs. We're not certain it's dangerous, but we want you to know before you continue. You can go back to safety, or continue just this once if you know the site is fine.
✕ This site is dangerous
This website is on a known scam list. We hold the page so nothing loads until you decide. We strongly recommend going back.
If we flag a site you know is fine, you can continue past the warning. If "I trust this site — don't ask me again" appears on the screen, clicking it adds the site to your safe list so we won't flag it again — but that option isn't shown if Caregiver Lock or Maximum Protection is turned on. See the next section for how to manage your safe list.
Your safe list contains sites you've told us are fine. We won't check them again. If Caregiver Lock and Maximum Protection are both off, you can add to it directly from a warning screen; you can remove entries at any time in Settings.
To add a site to your safe list: If Caregiver Lock and Maximum Protection are both off, click "I trust this site — don't ask me again" when you see a warning for a site you know is fine. It's added to your safe list immediately. If either is turned on, this option isn't available — see "Caregiver Lock — protecting a parent's settings" below.
To remove a site from your safe list:
1
Open the Scam SafeGuard extensionClick the shield icon in the top-right corner of Chrome.
2
Go to SettingsClick the settings gear icon.
3
Find "Trusted Sites"Scroll down to see your safe list. Click "Remove" next to any site to take it off the list. The site will be checked again next time you visit.
The default settings work well for most people. But if you'd like to change how warnings are shown or how strict the protection is, open Settings from the extension popup.
Show warnings for: Choose whether to be warned for high-risk links only, caution links and above, or every scan result. "High risk only" is the default and works well for most people.
Protection level: Three options.
1
Standard (default)Balanced protection. You'll see warnings for dangerous and unusual sites. Unusual warnings can still be continued past once; dangerous warnings can be too, unless Caregiver Lock is also turned on.
2
CautiousMore warnings, fewer exceptions. Good if you want to err on the side of caution.
3
Maximum ProtectionA "dangerous" warning can't be continued past at all. An "unusual" warning can still be continued past just this once, but the site can no longer be marked as safe. Best for people who want the most cautious experience, or for a parent's device.
If you're setting up Scam SafeGuard on a parent's computer, "Maximum Protection" combined with Caregiver Lock (below) gives the highest level of safety.
Protecting a parent
Caregiver Lock — protecting a parent's settings
Caregiver Lock lets you protect Scam SafeGuard's settings with a 4-digit PIN — so they can't be turned off accidentally, and so a scammer on the phone can't talk a parent into disabling their protection.
"Turn off your security software" is a real scammer tactic. Caregiver Lock means that even if a scammer calls and asks your parent to switch off their protection, the settings can't be changed without the PIN only you know.
To set up Caregiver Lock:
1
Open Settings on the parent's computerClick the Scam SafeGuard shield icon in Chrome, then the settings gear.
2
Scroll to "Caregiver Lock" and click "Set up"You'll see the setup section near the bottom of the Settings page.
3
Enter a 4-digit PIN and click "Save PIN"Choose something you'll remember. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe — if you forget it, the only way to reset it is to reinstall the extension.
4
Done — the settings are now lockedWhile the Lock is on, "I trust this site — don't ask me again" is hidden everywhere — on the warning screen, in the popup, and on the report page — for everyone using the device, including you. There is no PIN prompt for it, and no way to permanently trust a site while the Lock is on.
The Lock also makes a red "This site is dangerous" warning impossible to get past — for anyone, including you — without turning the Lock off first. This is true even if Maximum Protection isn't turned on; the Lock alone is enough.
If you need to add a trusted site, you have to remove the Lock first (which does require your PIN), trust the site, then set the Lock up again with a new PIN. Be aware that while the Lock is off, anyone using the device can change protection settings and trust sites themselves.
Keep your PIN somewhere safe. If you forget it, you'll need to uninstall and reinstall Scam SafeGuard to reset it. There's no "forgot PIN" option — this is intentional, to prevent scammers from resetting it remotely.
No. Scam SafeGuard checks where a link points to — the web address. It does not read your emails, see who sent them, read the subject line, or read what the message says. This is how the feature is designed to work, and we do not receive email content.
How do I check a suspicious text message from my phone?
Phones can't run browser extensions, so Scam SafeGuard can't check links on your phone directly. The best way is to copy the message on your phone, open Chrome on your computer, click the Scam SafeGuard icon, go to the "Check a Message" tab, and paste the message in. We'll check every link in it. See How to check a text message from your phone above for step-by-step instructions.
A site I know is safe was flagged. What do I do?
For an amber "unusual" warning, click "Continue just this once" if you're confident the site is fine. If you also see "I trust this site — don't ask me again," clicking it adds the site to your safe list so we won't flag it again. If you don't see that option, Caregiver Lock or Maximum Protection is likely turned on for this device — ask whoever set up your protection to add the site for you. You can also remove sites from your safe list at any time in Settings. If you think we've got it wrong in a way that might affect others, email us at [email protected] and we'll review it.
Does it work on mobile?
The extension works on desktop and laptop computers (Windows and Mac) in Chrome. It doesn't run on phones or tablets. For suspicious texts on a phone, see the "Check a Message" feature above — you can copy a text from your phone and check it on your computer in about 30 seconds.
What's the difference between "Caution" and "Dangerous"?
"This site looks unusual" (amber warning) means something caught our attention — like a brand-new website or an address similar to a well-known brand — but we're not certain it's a scam. "This site is dangerous" (red warning) means the site is on a known scam list and is very likely harmful. For red warnings, we strongly recommend going back. For amber warnings, use your judgement — if you know the site well, you can continue past the warning.
I set up Caregiver Lock and forgot the PIN. What do I do?
Unfortunately there's no PIN recovery option — this is intentional so scammers can't reset it remotely. To clear the PIN, you'll need to uninstall Scam SafeGuard from Chrome and reinstall it from the Chrome Web Store. Your safe list will be cleared when you do this. If you'd like help with this, email [email protected].
Can I turn off checking for certain sites or features?
Yes. In Settings you can turn off specific protection types (social media links, email and message links, or background checking) independently — if Caregiver Lock is on, changing these requires your PIN. If Caregiver Lock and Maximum Protection are both off, you can also add sites to your safe list so they're never checked; if either is on, that option is hidden rather than PIN-protected — there's no PIN prompt for it.
Is Scam SafeGuard free?
Yes — there's a free plan that covers everyday link checking, social media protection, and 10 message checks a month. There's also a 14-day trial of Premium — no card needed. Premium ($6.99/month, or $59.99/year) adds unlimited message checks, airlock protection for your social feeds and web-based inbox (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail & more), deeper AI checks on suspicious shops, Maximum Protection (also free for your first 14 days), and the weekly Trusted Contact summary for one person. Family ($12.99/month, or $129.99/year) covers up to 5 people, each with their own Trusted Contact summary.
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Links on social media
When you click a link on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, or WhatsApp Web, Scam SafeGuard checks it before the page opens.
You don't do anything. If the link is safe, the page opens normally. If something looks wrong, you'll see a warning first.