WiseBuy - AI powered widget

WiseBuy is an AI powered browser extension that safeguards your finances by detecting fraudulent sites, describing transactions, managing subscriptions, and tracking financial goals while you shop.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by a major frustration many people experience: the difficulty of recognizing purchases on bank statements, which often show obscure merchant names or cryptic transaction codes. When reviewing credit card statements a month after purchasing, it's common to wonder "What did I actually buy here?" Additionally, we've observed how impulsive online purchases frequently derail financial goals, and many of us have experienced subscription fatigue or fallen victim to deceptive e-commerce practices. We wanted to create a tool that generates clear descriptions of purchases that integrate with banking statements for better financial tracking, while also empowering users with real-time financial insights as they shop online, helping them make more informed decisions before clicking "checkout."

What it does

WiseBuy is a browser extension that acts as your financial guardian while shopping online. It:

  • Analyzes spending habits to provide personalized financial insights
  • Provides real-time feedback on how purchases impact your financial goals
  • Monitors bank transactions related to online purchases
  • Detects potentially fraudulent websites using URL and content analysis
  • Identifies and helps manage subscription services to prevent unused recurring charges

How we built it

We developed WiseBuy using a combination of technologies:

  • A Chrome/Edge extension with JavaScript frontend (background scripts, content scripts, popup UI)
  • Python backend with FastAPI for data processing and analysis
  • MongoDB for user data and transaction storage
  • OpenAI API for content analysis and purchase description generation
  • VirusTotal API integration for enhanced fraud detection
  • JWT authentication for secure user sessions
  • The extension architecture includes content scripts that analyze e-commerce pages, a background process for continuous monitoring, and a popup interface for user interactions.

Challenges we ran into

  • First time developing a Google Chrome extension
  • Chaining LLMs to get better solutions
  • Creating an idea that felt new in fintech

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Building a functional prototype
  • Creating an intuitive UI that presents complex financial information in an accessible way
  • Developing a subscription frequency analysis algorithm that accurately identifies recurring payments
  • Implementing real-time transaction monitoring with minimal latency
  • Creating a seamless integration between the extension and our backend services
  • Building a complete solution during the time constraints of the hackathon

What we learned

  • The intricacies of browser extension development and security models
  • How to effectively use AI APIs for content analysis and description generation
  • How to build secure authentication systems for browser extensions
  • Collaborative development workflows for rapid prototyping

Built with

Languages: JavaScript, Python, HTML, CSS Frameworks: FastAPI for backend API development Database: MongoDB for user data and transaction storage APIs: OpenAI API for content analysis and purchase descriptions, VirusTotal API for fraud detection Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for secure user sessions Browser Technologies: Chrome/Edge Extension API, Content Scripts, Background Scripts DevOps: GitHub for version control, uvicorn for ASGI server Libraries: pymongo for database interaction, python-dotenv for configuration management, requests for API communication

What's next for Widget HackUPC

  • Developing a mobile companion app for on-the-go financial insights
  • Expanding compatibility to more browsers (Firefox, Safari)
  • Implementing direct integration with major banking APIs
  • Adding social features to compare spending habits with friends or similar demographics
  • Creating a marketplace for custom financial goal templates
  • Improving subscription detection with a comprehensive database of subscription services

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