Question 1

How does the email check work?

Accepted Answer

You paste the sender's address and we run free built-in warning-sign checks: lookalike brand names like paypa1, throwaway mail services, sketchy domain endings, pressure words such as "verify" or "refund", long number strings, and dash-heavy lookalike domains. We also add points if other people on this site have reported that address as a scam.

Question 2

Does it check whether my email was in a data breach?

Accepted Answer

No. The checker looks at the address itself for scam warning signs. It doesn't search breach databases, so a "Looks safe" result only means the address doesn't show the usual red flags.

Question 3

Do I need an account to use the site?

Accepted Answer

No. Checking an email address is free and open to anyone. Signing in is only needed if you want your checks saved to your history or want to report an address as a scam.

Question 4

What's the difference between "Check email" and "Analyze email"?

Accepted Answer

"Check email" looks at just the sender's address and gives you an instant risk score. "Analyze email" lets you paste the whole message so an AI model can read it for phishing signs, quote the lines that look off, and suggest safe next steps.

Question 5

Is anything I type saved or sent anywhere?

Accepted Answer

Your checks are saved to your history only while you're signed in. The guided incident report form keeps everything in your browser — nothing is stored or transmitted, and you can copy or print the summary for your own records.

Question 6

What should I do if I already sent money or shared a code?

Accepted Answer

Act fast: call your bank or card company's fraud line, place a free fraud alert with one credit bureau, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, and freeze your credit. The Learn page walks through each step, and the report form builds you a summary of what happened.

Question 7

Can I report a scam email address I ran into?

Accepted Answer

Yes — sign in, run the check, then hit "Report as scam". Reports stay private; the checker only shows how many people reported an address, never who reported it.

Question 8

Is ScamShield a guarantee or legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No. It's a free educational tool. Scammers invent new tricks constantly, so always be careful with passwords, one-time codes, and payments no matter what a check says. For official help, go to IdentityTheft.gov.

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