How to Use CyberWatch AI Scan to Check Links, Messages and Screenshots

CyberWatch AI Scan is a free tool that gives you a second opinion on anything suspicious: a link, a message, an email or a screenshot. It reads the content the way a careful expert would, looks for the tactics scammers use, and tells you what it found and what to do. Here is how to use each option and how to read the result.

Three ways to check something

1. Check a link

1. Copy the link without opening it. On a phone, press and hold the link and choose "Copy link". On a computer, right-click and choose "Copy link address".
2. Open CyberWatch AI Scan and choose the URL / Link tab.
3. Paste the link and tap Scan This Link.

Use this for links in texts, emails, social media posts, QR codes (copy the web address your camera shows, without opening it) and adverts.

2. Check a message

1. Copy the full text of the message, email, SMS or WhatsApp chat. Include the sender's details if you can.
2. Choose the Message / Text tab.
3. Paste it and tap Analyse This Message.

Use this for anything asking you to pay, click, share a code, call a number or move to another app.

3. Check a screenshot

1. Take a screenshot of the message, profile, advert, web page or payment request.
2. Choose the Screenshot tab and upload the image.
3. Tap Analyse This Screenshot.

Screenshots are useful when you cannot copy text, such as images in chats, social media adverts, fake payment alerts or pop-ups.

How to read the result

Each result includes:

• A risk score and label, showing how likely it is to be a scam.
• A plain-language summary of what the message is and why it was scored that way.
• The warning signs it found, such as urgency, impersonation, a lookalike web address or a request for a code or payment.
• What to do next, for example not to click, how to check with the real organization, or how to report it.

A high score means you should not act on the message. A low score is reassuring, but it is not a guarantee. Always follow the advice to check through the organization's official app, website or phone number before paying or sharing anything important.

Worked example

The limits you should know

• It can be wrong. No tool catches every scam. Treat the result as a second opinion, not a final answer, especially for large payments.
• It cannot see what happened elsewhere. It judges what you paste. It cannot confirm whether your bank really sent a message, so still check with your bank directly.
• It does not fix things after the fact. If you have already paid or shared details, act immediately; see our first-hour checklist.

Good habits to pair with it

1. Pause whenever a message creates urgency.
2. Never share codes, passwords or PINs because a message asked.
3. Check through a channel you find yourself.
4. Report scams to the platform and your national service after checking.

Our 60-second check is a quick routine you can run in your head, and how to check a link without clicking it explains how to read a web address yourself.

Your privacy

We do not store the content you scan. We keep only the scan type, the risk score and a short summary, which lets us show anonymised trends on the Recent Threats page. You do not need an account to scan; a free account simply keeps your own history.

Scanning is one step. To understand the scams it looks for, read our guide on how to identify and avoid online scams.

Frequently asked questions