Finance FraudCheck

Inspiration

Digital financial frauds like fake loan apps and UPI scams are increasing rapidly. Many students, elderly users, and first-time digital users lose money because there is no quick way to verify links or apps before making a payment. This inspired us to build FraudCheck as a fast and simple safety layer.

What it does

FraudCheck allows users to paste a UPI/payment link or search for a loan app and instantly get a risk label (Safe, Caution, High Risk) along with clear reasons and recommended actions. It also enables users to anonymously report scams and view community warnings.

How we built it

We built a web-based MVP using a rule-based backend system. The tool analyzes payment link patterns, app store availability, takedown history, and community-reported data. A mobile-first frontend ensures users receive results within seconds.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was avoiding false positives while still warning users early. Limited public data for some apps and links also made risk assessment difficult. We addressed this by using soft risk labels and explaining the reasons clearly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a working MVP that delivers results in under 10 seconds Designed a privacy-first system with anonymous reporting Created a simple interface usable by non-technical users Addressed a real-world problem affecting millions of users

What we learned

What's next for Finance FraudCheck

We learned how to design user-centric security tools, balance accuracy with simplicity, and build ethical, privacy-aware systems. We also gained experience in rapid prototyping and teamwork under time constraints. What's next for Finance FraudCheck We plan to add regional language support, browser/mobile integration, improved community moderation, and ML-based risk scoring as more data becomes available.