How Hunch checks a message
Hunch reads the words of a message and flags the patterns scammers reuse, a look-alike domain, a password or payment ask, manufactured urgency. It is a signal, not a verdict on a person.
It runs on your device
The checker analyzes your message right here in the browser, the same detection engine that ships inside the Hunch extension. Detection runs locally on your device, which is also why it works for a text on your phone.
Signals, not accusations
When Hunch names a brand, it is describing scammers who impersonate that brand, never the real company. A verdict is an automated risk signal to help you slow down and verify, not proof of fraud or legal advice.
What it catches well
Look-alike and unexpected domains, credential and payment asks, high-pressure deadlines, fake-recruiter templates, and common impersonation of banks, tax authorities, delivery and big tech brands. English and Hebrew are fully supported; Spanish and Portuguese are in progress.
What it can miss
A brand-new scam with no known pattern, or a highly personal message, can be harder to judge. Paste the message text so Hunch reads the words, not a picture. No warning is not a guarantee a message is fine, when a request is unexpected, verify it through a channel you already trust.
Two tiers: a red "Scam" reads high confidence (a fake domain with pressure and an ask, or a known impersonation); an amber "Suspicious" means worth a closer look. A message a friend could plausibly have sent stays amber on purpose.
Questions people ask
- What is Hunch?
- A calm second look on a message you're not sure about. Paste it and Hunch tells you, in plain words, what it's really asking you to do, and a safer next step.
- Is Hunch a scam?
- No. Hunch is a free tool that helps you check a message you are unsure about. The checker and the browser extension are free, need no account, and do not ask for your personal details. Detection runs on your device, so in the extension and the checker nothing from your message leaves your device. Hunch is an advisor, not a judge: it shows you what a message asks for and a safer next step, and it never charges you to see a warning.
- Is it free?
- Yes. The checker and the browser extension are free.
- Does Hunch store my messages?
- No. In the extension and the browser checker, nothing from your message leaves your device. The two features that do reach a server, the Telegram bot and the email check (check@checkyourhunch.com), work the same way: the message is read on our server to answer you, then deleted. Nothing is stored, and nothing is sent to an outside AI service.
- Do I need an account?
- No account, no sign-up. Paste a message and get an answer.
- Can Hunch catch every scam?
- No, and it won't pretend to. Hunch catches a lot, but no warning is a promise that a message is fine. Always check unexpected requests yourself.
Using Hunch in apps
- Does Hunch work in the WhatsApp app?
- Not in the WhatsApp desktop or phone app. The Hunch extension checks messages in WhatsApp Web in Chrome. Using the WhatsApp app on your computer or phone? Copy the message and check it here, with our Telegram bot, or by email at check@checkyourhunch.com.
- Does Hunch work in the Gmail app?
- Not in the Gmail phone app or a desktop mail app like Outlook or Apple Mail. The Hunch extension checks Gmail in Chrome on the web. Reading mail in an app instead? Copy the message and check it here, with our Telegram bot, or by email at check@checkyourhunch.com.