Legal
Terms of Use & Disclaimer
Effective July 30, 2026 · Version 1
Scam Signal is an educational tool. It is not a security scanner, and it cannot tell you whether a link is safe. A low score is not a guarantee of safety. A high score is not proof that anyone has done anything wrong. When in doubt, do not open the link.
Please read these terms carefully. They apply to your use of the Scam Signal app — including the Link Lab inspector, the Signal Arcade, the Playbook, and every other part of the app — and to your use of the teensagainstscams.com website. If you do not agree, please stop using them.
1. Educational purpose only
Scam Signal is an educational product created to help people recognize common fraud patterns. All content, scores, findings, examples, and suggestions are provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Nothing here is legal advice, financial advice, cybersecurity advice, investigative advice, or professional advice of any kind. Using this app does not create any professional, advisory, or fiduciary relationship between you and the developer.
All scam scenarios, messages, senders, companies, and situations presented in the app are fictional simulations written for teaching purposes. They involve no real money, no real accounts, and no real transactions.
2. What Link Lab actually does
Link Lab performs a text-only review of a web address on your device. It compares the characters of the address against a fixed, manually written list of patterns, such as look-alike spellings, hidden hosts, uncommon domain endings, and pressure words.
It does not open the address, visit the site, follow redirects, download content, inspect page contents, run any antivirus or malware scan, check reputation services, consult any blocklist or threat-intelligence database, or contact any server. Its score is a simple count of matched patterns. It is a rough heuristic, not a measurement of risk.
3. No guarantee of safety, and no accusation
A low score does not mean a link is safe, legitimate, or trustworthy. Harmful links frequently match none of the patterns this app looks for, and will therefore receive a low score.
A high score does not mean a link is harmful, and it is not a statement of fact, an allegation, or an accusation that any individual, business, domain owner, or organization has committed fraud, a crime, or any other wrongdoing. Results may be wrong in either direction. False negatives and false positives are expected and unavoidable.
4. Your decisions are your own
You are solely and entirely responsible for your own decisions, including whether to open a link, reply to a message, share information, send money, install software, or take any other action. You must independently verify anything important.
Do not rely on Scam Signal as your only source of information, and do not use it as a substitute for the advice of your bank, your service provider, a qualified professional, law enforcement, or a trusted adult. If you are unsure, do not open the link.
5. Provided "as is" — no warranty
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SCAM SIGNAL IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. THE DEVELOPER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, RELIABILITY, SECURITY, OR UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION. No advice or information obtained through the app creates any warranty not expressly stated here.
6. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEVELOPER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF MONEY, DATA, ACCOUNTS, PROPERTY, PRIVACY, REPUTATION, OR OPPORTUNITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, SCAM SIGNAL — INCLUDING ANY LOSS RESULTING FROM AN INCORRECT, INCOMPLETE, OR MISLEADING RESULT.
This applies whether the claim is based in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other legal theory, and whether or not the developer was advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of certain damages, so some of the above may not apply to you. In that case, the developer's total liability is limited to the amount you paid for the app, or ten United States dollars, whichever is less.
7. Third-party names and links
Company, product, and brand names referenced in this app are the property of their respective owners and are used only to describe or illustrate common impersonation patterns. Their use does not imply any affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership. Scam Signal is not affiliated with any of the companies whose names may appear in an inspected address or in a training example. Links to outside organizations are provided as a convenience; the developer does not control and is not responsible for their content.
8. Acceptable use
Do not use Scam Signal to harass, defame, accuse, publicly shame, or make claims about any person or business. Do not present a Link Lab result as evidence of a crime or as a professional security finding. Do not paste passwords, one-time codes, account numbers, or other sensitive credentials into the app. Do not use the app in any way that violates applicable law.
9. Privacy
Scam Signal has no account, no ads, and no analytics. Link inspection happens entirely on your device, and inspected addresses are neither stored nor transmitted. Your progress, bookmarks, and preferences are kept only on your device and are removed if you delete the app or clear your data in Settings. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.
10. Changes to these terms
These terms may be updated in a future version of the app. When the substance of the terms changes, you will be asked to review and accept the updated version before continuing to use Link Lab. Your continued use of the app after accepting an update means you agree to it.
11. Contact
Scam Signal is an independent project by Duncan Schwindt of Teens Against Scams. Questions about these terms can be sent to investingfinancialawareness@gmail.com.