Check
Check anything that feels off.
SMS, WhatsApp, email or a phone call. Ask follow-up questions about any verdict, report a real scam so it warns others, and find past checks in your history.
A scam check for older South Africans
Pause before you pay.
Got an SMS, WhatsApp, email or phone call that feels off? Check it with On Hold before you act. You get a plain answer, Stop, Wait or Looks okay, and what to do next. If you agree, a family member hears about it when something looks like a scam.
- Coming soon to Google Play
- Coming soon to the App Store
How it works
From “this feels off” to a plain answer.
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Paste it, show it or say it
Paste the message, share a screenshot, or tap Speak and describe it. Someone on the phone right now? Call mode shows the safety basics straight away.
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Take a breath
A calm pause, at least three seconds, while On Hold checks. Scammers rush you. On Hold slows you down.
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Get a plain verdict
Stop, Wait or Looks okay, with the reasons and exactly what to do now. On a call, it gives you the words to say before you hang up.
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Family hears, only if you said yes
Link a son, daughter or friend and choose what they're told. On a Stop they get the warning, never your messages.
Say this, then hang up
“I don't do banking on the phone. I'll call my bank myself.”
Do this now
- Don't share a PIN or one-time code. Your bank will never ask for one.
- Hang up, then phone the number on the back of your card.
- Tell someone you trust what happened.
On Hold can make mistakes. If something still feels wrong, trust that feeling.
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Stop
It matches a known scam. Don't reply, pay or tap any link.
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Wait
Something isn't right, but it's not certain. Check with someone first.
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Looks okay
Nothing worrying found. On Hold never says something is certainly safe.
What's inside
Five things, each done plainly.
Family
Someone in your corner.
Invite family with a code or over WhatsApp. You choose what they're told and can stop sharing any time. They get an alert timeline and one-tap call.
Scam map
See what's going around near you.
Community reports, checked by a moderator, shown as a heat map by suburb. Filter by type of scam.
Learn
Know the tricks before they reach you.
Plain guides to common South African scams, checked against SABRIC, SASSA, SARS and RTIA advice, plus what people near you are reporting.
Simple mode and access
One big button, if that's all you want.
Simple mode turns Home into one giant Check button and a button to call family. Everywhere: large, highly legible type, 48-point touch targets, and verdicts that never rely on colour alone.
Privacy
What you check is never stored.
Scam messages often contain your own account details. On Hold reads the message or screenshot, gives you a verdict, and keeps only the verdict. Not the message. Not the picture.
Never kept
Only the verdict is saved, so your history can show it.
Your family, your call
They see a warning, never your messages, and only if you agreed.
Suburbs, not addresses
The scam map never shows where anyone lives.
Coming soon to Google Play and the App Store.
Until then, the whole app runs right here in your browser.