PinkyPromise

Inspiration

PinkyPromise was inspired by the growing number of phishing scams and the vulnerability of older adults to fraudulent phone calls and social engineering. Many individuals, especially those less familiar with technology, struggle to recognize the warning signs of scams. Statistics suggesting that 30–40% of T-Mobile customers may be susceptible to scams motivated us to explore ways to make scam prevention more accessible. Rather than simply warning people about scams, we wanted to create an interactive experience where users could safely practice identifying them. Our goal is to empower individuals with the knowledge and confidence to protect themselves.

What It Does

PinkyPromise is a research-backed scam-prevention application that helps users recognize, respond to, and avoid phishing and fraudulent phone calls. Inspired by recent ACM CHI research demonstrating how interactive simulations can improve scam recognition and phishing detection*, PinkyPromise allows users to practice identifying scams through realistic phone-call scenarios. These simulations teach users to recognize common red flags, such as urgency, impersonation, and suspicious requests, while building confidence in responding safely. The application also features a unique user-generated verification code system designed to help customers authenticate callers through a trusted verification process. Additionally, personalized risk assessments and progress tracking allow users to understand their vulnerabilities and monitor improvement over time. By combining research-informed simulations, caller verification, and personalized feedback, PinkyPromise aims to make scam prevention more engaging, accessible, and effective.

Research References:
- Hoffman et al. (2026). ScamPilot: Simulating Conversations with LLMs to Protect Against Online Scams. ACM CHI 2026. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791313
- Schöni et al. (2025). Stop the Clock: Counteracting Bias Exploited by Attackers through an Interactive Augmented Reality Phishing Training. ACM CHI 2025. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714023

How We Built It

We built PinkyPromise using React Native and TypeScript to create an interactive and accessible mobile frontend. Supabase served as our database solution, allowing us to store and manage user information and application data. We used Python to develop the backend and handle the application's underlying functionality. Throughout development, we focused on connecting these technologies into one cohesive system. We also prioritized creating a simple, approachable interface that would be easy for older adults to navigate.

Challenges We Ran Into

One of our biggest challenges was managing merge conflicts while collaborating on different parts of the application. We also encountered difficulties integrating Twilio because of its pricing restrictions and paywalls, which prevented us from implementing the customizable calling features we originally envisioned. We explored alternative services, but many had stricter guidelines that limited our creative flexibility. These obstacles forced us to rethink certain features and find alternative tools that better suited our needs. Ultimately, we learned to approach setbacks with patience, communicate effectively, and adapt our plans without losing sight of our overall goal.

Accomplishments That We're Proud Of

One of our favorite accomplishments was creating our mascot, which helped give PinkyPromise a recognizable and friendly identity. We wanted the application to feel welcoming rather than intimidating, especially for older adults learning about scam prevention. We are also proud of the teamwork and cooperation that allowed us to bring everyone's individual contributions together. Despite technical difficulties and unexpected setbacks, we remained patient and continued working toward our shared vision. Most importantly, we successfully transformed our original idea into a functioning application that addresses a real-world problem.

What We Learned

Throughout this project, we learned that successful development requires more than technical knowledge; it also requires adaptability, communication, and problem-solving. When our original plans did not work out, we had to explore new tools and find creative alternatives to achieve similar results. We gained experience working with React Native, TypeScript, Supabase, and Python while learning how to integrate different technologies. We also discovered the importance of patience and collaboration when navigating unexpected challenges. Overall, we learned that setbacks are opportunities to grow, adapt, and discover better solutions.

What's Next for PinkyPromise?

Our vision for PinkyPromise is to expand its capabilities and reach a wider audience through additional features and broader deployment. We plan to introduce more training scenarios covering phishing emails, fraudulent text messages, impersonation attempts, and other evolving scam techniques. Another major goal is to develop an employee analytics dashboard that allows organizations to monitor scam awareness, identify common vulnerabilities, and measure training progress. We also hope to partner with telecommunications companies and community organizations to make PinkyPromise accessible to more people, especially older adults. Ultimately, we want to transform PinkyPromise into a comprehensive scam-prevention platform that educates, empowers, and protects people from digital threats.