Ghostproof

This app allows users to paste or upload a message (like a DM, email, or text) and have it analyzed for scam indicators.

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🚨 Ghostproof – Scam Detection for Real Life

💡 Inspiration

In 2024, scams targeting small businesses surged over 20%, hitting solopreneurs, Etsy sellers, creators, and microinfluencers the hardest. We saw real people—baristas launching side hustles, virtual assistants landing their first clients—getting duped by fake DMs and too-good-to-be-true collab offers. There was no simple way to vet suspicious messages without digging through scam forums or asking strangers online.

We asked: What if there was a fast, trusted way to verify a sketchy message—right when it lands in your inbox?

That’s why we built Ghostproof: a real-time scam analysis app that gives solopreneurs peace of mind, powered by AI and built for the gig-driven, hustle-powered economy.

🧠 What it does

Ghostproof analyzes suspicious messages—like emails, Instagram DMs, or collab offers—to detect scam markers and AI-generated content.

Paste a message into Ghostproof, and it returns:

  • A Trust Score (0–100)
  • A verdict badge (Green / Yellow / Red)
  • A summary of scam flags (e.g., urgency, fake brand name, overly generic flattery)
  • Whether the message was likely written by an AI
  • A clean, clear interface built for speed

Free users can scan up to 3 messages per month. After that, they can upgrade to a $9.99/month Pro plan for unlimited scans and scan history tracking.

🛠️ How we built it

We used the Bolt.new Pro Plan to scaffold and deploy the full-stack app in under 4 hours:

  • Frontend: React, styled with 21st.dev components (input form, dashboard, trust meter, result badges)
  • Backend: Node.js with REST API endpoints generated by Neurelo
  • Database: Supabase stores users, messages, and scan logs
  • Authentication: Supabase Auth for secure signup/login
  • Scam Detection AI: Powered by Perplexity Pro—analyzing tone, content, urgency, structure, and linguistic patterns
  • Stripe Checkout: Used for subscription payments
  • Monitoring: Integrated with Sentry for error and performance tracking
  • Deployment: Hosted on Netlify with a custom domain from DEV++ and GitHub for version control

🧗‍♀️ Challenges we ran into

  • Refining the scam detection prompt to balance sensitivity and false positives was tricky—especially for AI-generated content.
  • Stripe subscription logic within scan limits required precise logic gating between free and paid users.
  • Supabase rate limits briefly affected initial API calls; we tuned our database indexing for faster user lookups.
  • UI pacing: keeping the UX clean and fast, while surfacing helpful context (e.g., "Why is this a red flag?") required iteration.

🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a full, production-ready SaaS app in under 4 hours using Bolt.new and no outside dev tools
  • Created a peace-of-mind utility that feels empowering, not fear-based
  • Seamlessly integrated multiple APIs (Perplexity, Stripe, Supabase, Neurelo) into one unified experience
  • Validated a real-world problem with feedback from creators, Etsy sellers, and freelancers during the build

📚 What we learned

  • When AI is used for empathy and empowerment, people trust it more.
  • Rapid full-stack dev is possible with the right tools—Bolt.new + Claude + Supabase is an unbeatable trio.
  • Simplicity scales. A small, focused tool solves a big emotional pain point if it’s frictionless and trustworthy.

🔮 What’s next for Ghostproof

  • Browser extension: Scan suspicious messages directly from Gmail, Etsy, or Instagram DMs
  • Live domain & dashboard: Launch at ghostproof.tech with onboarding, referrals, and custom branding
  • Team plans: White-label Ghostproof for virtual assistant teams, creator coaches, and fraud prevention workshops
  • Email auto-filtering: Let Ghostproof auto-analyze your inbox for red-flag messages in real-time

Built with ⚡️ by Lara Taylor using Bolt.new, Perplexity, and a desire to make digital life safer for real people doing honest work.

Built With

  • 21st.dev
  • 21st.dev-(ui-components)
  • bolt.new
  • bolt.new-pro-plan-(claude-3.5-sonnet-ide)
  • claude-3.5
  • github
  • github-(version-control)
  • javascript
  • netlify
  • netlify-(hosting)
  • neurelo
  • neurelo-(api-generation)
  • node.js
  • node.js-(backend)
  • perplexity
  • perplexity-pro-(ai-analysis)
  • react
  • react-(frontend)
  • sentry
  • sentry-(error-monitoring)
  • stripe
  • stripe-checkout-(subscription-payments)
  • supabase
  • supabase-(postgresql-+-auth)
  • typescript
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