How getting scammed led me to build TrustCheck AI
Scammers targeted my family when we were most vulnerable. My elderly mother got scammed the same week my father passed away. They prey on people during their worst moments.
I'm not a developer - never coded in my life. But I was angry enough to do something about it. So I used AI to help me build an AI tool that fights back against scammers using AI or any other software tools at their disposal.
Here's what TrustCheck AI does:
Upload any image, text, link, or screenshot
Get instant authenticity analysis in a few seconds
No prompts needed - all forensic expertise built in
Clear Low/Medium/High risk ratings, the reasons why and recommendations anyone can understand
Where we're at:
Just launched on App Store and Google Play in August 2025
$3.99/month for 300 scans (4 free to try)
Posted on Show HN today, submitted to BetaList. Set up and Instagram and Tik Tok page.
Tackling the $1 trillion global fraud problem, one scan at a time
Have received quite a bit of interest so far.
The mission is simple: Make professional content verification affordable and accessible to everyone.
That's great, Anthony! A lot of things happen on internet. Some people would have been discouraged after being scammed, but you kept moving. I'm motivated by your courage. Please, let people know how it works. Thanks
Thank you🙏
How It Works:
There are 4 options on the page to choose from:
Messages, Weblinks, Screenshots Photocheck
Paste or Upload content/image and then Tap "TrustCheck it"
Automatic analysis in under 30 seconds ( usually takes 3 - 5 seconds but sometimes deepfake analysis can take a little longer depending on the complexity of the image)
Once analysis is completed a results page pops up.
Results Include:
Clear risk assessment (Low/Medium/High)
Plain-language explanations of findings
Recommendations in succinct point form.
I've set up a 4 free scan trial for users to experience the functionality and then if they subscribe it's US $3.99 for 300 scans per month. The objectives to make it affordable and accessible with plenty of scans to work with and eliminate the complexity of traditional verification tools. No prompts to write, detection techniques to learn, or manual research needed. Easy enough for anyone to use.
Thanks again for your kind words, it means a lot
Your story is inspirational, its ur strength that u turned pain into building something, trust check ai sounds good, u are appreciated
Thank you, really appreciate it
That’s the same way I learned many things on the go, solving my own problems and then launching them for all.
Good on you! Keep going.. Necessity is the mother of all invention..
Very Inspiring
Thank you
This is great,what your plans on growing from here?
Thanks - it's early days. Have been on a few forums/launch sites which will be live over the next few weeks, have set up some social media ( insta and tik tok) and posted some trial content showcasing how it works will be working on pushing it out more over the next few weeks
That’s incredibly inspiring. Turning such a painful moment into something that helps others is powerful. TrustCheck AI sounds super useful—I’ll definitely check it out.
Thank you, really appreciate it. It was quite an ordeal at the time - infuriating to say the least. According to a GASA report $1.02 trillion was scammed in 2024. I often wonder that with so much money involved, who is really behind it? And where is the money going? And how is the money moving?
I just hope that if my app saves one person from being scammed it will all be worth it.
I honestly don't understand how people can prey on others like this. I'm so sorry your family had to experience this; it's heartbreaking. I hope your tool gets a lot of attention and will help to bring those pesky assholes down! Well done you!
Thank you, Anastasia. Yes it was. Really appreciate your message
That’s a powerful story. Sorry you and your family had to go through that but turning it into something useful for others is inspiring. Curious, how accurate has TrustCheck been so far in real world use cases?
Thank you, really appreciate it.
In real world cases the accuracy for message scam detection, screenshot analysis and link checks is roughly 98%. For deepfake image detection it's about 90% accurate after thousands of tests and lots of pulling my hair out lol.
The main issue I faced is that some images are AI clones of real people and others are purely AI generated. Also filtering on some images can also create a flawless face which can sometimes be construed as AI generated and vice versa. So this was really challenging.
The big test for me was a recent AI generated image of a model that was used by Vogue Magazine to sell fashion products. If you search Vogue AI models, there are lots of articles about it.
I tested it on the app and below is the result:
TrustCheck AI Report
Result: HIGH RISK
Content Type: Deepfake Analysis
AI-generated image with multiple synthetic generation indicators
Advanced forensic analysis reveals definitive signs of AI generation. The facial features display mathematical precision exceeding human variation, with unnaturally perfect symmetry and skin texture. Hair demonstrates algorithmic rendering with suspiciously uniform wave patterns. The body proportions exhibit idealized geometric configuration that lacks natural human variation. Background elements show AI-typical uniformity in stone texture and lighting, indicating computational generation rather than photographic capture.
Recommendations:
Do not assume image authenticity
Verify source of image before any usage
Be cautious about potential misrepresentation
Consider digital literacy training on AI image detection
Verified on: Aug 26, 2025 at 10:05 PM
I only launched the app on apple this week and have done hardly any marketing other than mentioned in this post. Since then I posted on LinkedIn and a couple of tech sites.
If you would like to send a few messages or images for me to test on the app, feel free to do so and I will share the reports here.
Great idea! Try to consider a free browser extension and share verified case studies with measured accuracy and false-positive rates to build trust ;)
Thank you, that's excellent feedback and a good idea.. Yes, I am looking into a web version at the moment and will take your feedback and idea into consideration. Thanks again :)
Always happy to help, Anthony! Hope everything goes well with the project
Oh and btw, we could partner up. Me and my team are building HustleAdvisor, a social network where entrepreneurs share practical step by step lessons. If you join the waitlist and later post a short write up about building TrustCheck, we will boost it in the main feed so more people see it :)
You get: more users
We get: an entrepreneur on board
Good luck with the project!
Sure, I'd be open to that
Great! Here's the link for the waitlist: https://hustle-advisor.com
Hey there, just wanted to let you know that we launched!
hustle-advisor.com
Done
Thanks a lot! See you on the launch ;)
That is a helpful tool. Yes scams are always popping up. These scammers are always finding ways to take advantage of everyone. This tool is convenient if its just uploading thing rather than explain and give a prompt or detailed summary of a scammer etc.
Thanks, Bikram. Yes, it tried to simplify it for the user so they don't feel overwhelmed. At the time of receiving a suspicious message people ( myself included) can feel quite anxious so I tried to keep it as simple and as quick as possible for users to get the answers they need
I've just created a store on Chat GPT under the name of TrustCheck AI.. Check it out -would love your feedback..
Sorry to hear what happened to your family. Turning that into something useful for others is really inspiring. TrustCheck AI sounds super practical, love the clear risk ratings idea.
Thank you, really appreciate it. Wishing you great success in whatever your endeavours are