Last Updated: April 19, 2025
Your privacy is extremely important to us at Scam Defense. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, and your choices. We’re committed to guarding your personal data with the highest security standards and transparency. By using the Scam Defense app or website (our “Services”), you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. Because Scam Defense is currently in a beta release, we want to especially emphasize how we handle data during this testing phase and the care we take to protect your information.
Account Information: When you sign up for Scam Defense, we may collect basic details like your name, email address, phone number, and a password. This is used to create and secure your account. If you subscribe to a paid plan, our payment processor will collect your billing information (like credit card details), but we do not store your full credit card numbers on our servers.
Call and Contact Data: Since our service is all about blocking scam calls, we need to process certain info about your calls:
Caller ID Information: We analyze the phone numbers that call you (the incoming caller ID) to determine if they’re likely spam/scams. We log the number, date/time of call, and outcome (blocked, screened, or passed) for your reference.
Audio and Transcripts: If you enable the AI Call Assistant feature, the content of calls with unknown numbers may be processed by our AI. This means we temporarily handle call audio and convert it to text (transcription) so our AI can decide if the call is a scam. We may store these transcripts and audio recordings for a short period to allow you to review what the AI assistant heard, and to improve our service (for example, training our AI to recognize new scam patterns). Important: These audio recordings and transcripts are secured and only accessible to you (via the app) and our system — they are not public or shared with other users.
Your Contacts (Optional): Scam Defense might ask for permission to access your phone’s contacts. This is optional and only used to automatically allow calls from people you know. We never upload your contact list to our servers; it stays on your device. The app just checks incoming calls against your contacts locally to avoid blocking someone you know.
Device Information: We collect info about the device you use with Scam Defense, such as the device model, operating system version, app version, and possibly unique device identifiers. This helps us troubleshoot issues (e.g., if a bug affects only certain phones) and optimize our service for popular devices.
Usage Data: We gather data on how you use our app/Services. This includes things like feature usage (e.g., if you turned on auto-block or how often you use the AI assistant), logs of app errors or crashes, and general interaction data. We use this to improve usability and fix problems. For example, if many users never find a certain setting, we might simplify the menu.
Location Information: We do not track your precise GPS location. However, we may infer a general location (country or state) from your phone number or IP address. We use this for things like applying correct telemarketing rules (some laws vary by region) or optimizing call blocking for your area (some spam calls are region-specific). You can also choose to share your time zone or region to get region-specific scam alerts (for instance, warnings about a local scam campaign).
To Provide the Service: First and foremost, all data we collect is used to deliver Scam Defense’s core functionality – stopping scam calls. For example, we use the incoming call data to decide whether to block a call. If you’re in the beta program, we may also use data like call outcomes and error logs to identify issues and improve the call-blocking algorithms.
Improvement and Development: We may use call audio/transcripts and usage data in an aggregated, anonymized way to improve our AI and update our scam detection. For instance, if we see a new pattern (say, multiple users report a certain number or phrase that slipped past filters), our team may review anonymized snippets to adjust our filters. Rest assured, this is strictly for improving Scam Defense’s effectiveness. We do not use your personal call content for any other purpose, and we don’t retain it longer than necessary for analysis. As a beta product, we are actively tuning our algorithms, so this kind of analysis is important – but we do it with utmost respect for your privacy (and we discard the data after using it to make our AI smarter).
Customer Support: If you reach out to us (via phone, chat, or email), we’ll use your information to help resolve your issue. Support interactions may be logged (including chat transcripts or call recordings with our support center) to ensure quality service and for follow-up. These logs are kept secure and only accessed on a need-to-know basis.
Notifications and Updates: We might use your email or in-app notifications to send you important updates about the service. For example, privacy updates, security alerts, or tips to get more out of Scam Defense. We may also send occasional newsletters or promos, but you can opt out of those. Even in beta, if there’s a significant change (like a new feature or a known issue), we try to keep you informed in a privacy-respecting way.
Security and Fraud Prevention: We use data to keep Scam Defense and our users secure. This might include monitoring for unusual account activity (like someone trying to log in to your account from a new location), or preventing abuse of our platform. If we detect something suspicious on our end, we might use certain data (IP addresses, user IDs, etc.) to investigate or mitigate an issue. For example, to ensure someone isn’t signing up lots of fake accounts to abuse our trial – which keeps things fair for legitimate users.
Legal Compliance: In rare cases, we might need to use or disclose information to comply with legal obligations. For instance, if we receive a lawful subpoena or if needed to enforce our Terms and Conditions. We’ll always aim to narrow the scope and inform users when permissible.
Encryption: All communication between the Scam Defense app and our servers is encrypted (HTTPS/TLS). This means that whether your phone is sending us a phone number to check or we’re sending you a call alert, the data is scrambled in transit and safe from eavesdroppers. Sensitive data at rest (like audio recordings, if any, and personal details) is also encrypted on our servers. We use industry-standard encryption protocols to safeguard data both in transit and storage.
Secure Storage: We store data in secure cloud servers with robust physical and network security. Access to these servers is limited to authorized personnel only. Within the company, your personal data is accessible only to teams that need it for their job (for instance, the engineering team maintaining the database, or the support team when assisting you). We employ strict access controls and monitor usage to prevent any unauthorized access internally.
Data Minimization: We strive to collect the minimum data necessary to provide our service. If a piece of data isn’t needed, we don’t collect it. And if we can provide the service with less detail (e.g., storing an area code instead of full number for some analytics), we will. We also anonymize or aggregate data wherever possible. For example, when analyzing trends (“10% of calls last week were marked as spam”), we don’t need your personal details attached to that analysis.
Beta Precautions: Because we are in beta, we pay extra attention to potential security issues. Our team conducts regular security audits and code reviews, specifically looking to catch any vulnerabilities early. We also encourage beta users to report any security concerns. While we take every precaution, we acknowledge that unforeseen issues are possible (that’s the nature of beta). In the unlikely event of a security incident or data breach, we have a response plan in place: we will notify affected users and appropriate authorities as required by law, and we’ll work swiftly to remediate the issue. Your trust is paramount, and we intend to earn it every day with our security practices.
No Selling of Personal Data: We want to be crystal clear – we do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. Our business is protecting you from scams, not profiting from your data. In the course of operating our service, we do work with a few trusted partners (for things like cloud hosting, delivering messages, or processing payments), but they are bound by strict agreements to protect your data and use it only for the services we’ve hired them for. They cannot use your data for their own purposes.
Data Retention: We keep your personal information only as long as needed. For active accounts, we retain data to provide the service (naturally, you’d want your block list, settings, and call history maintained). If you decide to delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data associated with it (except for any data we’re required by law or legitimate business interests to keep – e.g. payment transaction records for accounting, which we might retain for a period as required by financial regulations). Audio recordings and transcripts from AI screenings are typically stored for a short time (e.g., a few months) for your access and system improvements, then automatically deleted. We continuously evaluate our retention periods to ensure we’re not holding onto data longer than necessary.
Access and Correction: You can access and update most of your account information right in the app (for example, if you need to change your email or see your call log). If you need a full export of your data or want to correct something not editable in the app, you can contact us at privacy@Scam Defense.ai and we’ll assist you.
Opt-Out of Communications: If you don’t want to receive promotional emails from us, you can unsubscribe via the link in those emails or adjust your account settings. Note that we will still send you essential service or billing-related communications (e.g., a notice of subscription renewal or important security alerts) as those are part of the service.
Permissions: On your mobile device, you have control over permissions. If you don’t want Scam Defense to access your contacts or call log, you can decline those permissions (the app will still work with limited functionality). You can also disable the AI assistant feature if you’re not comfortable with any call audio being analyzed – Scam Defense will then function purely by blocking known spam and relying on other signals (you may lose some advanced screening capability, but the choice is yours).
Account Deletion: You have the right to delete your account and personal data. You can request account deletion in the app settings or by contacting support. Be aware that deletion is irreversible – it will erase your data from our live systems. (We may retain encrypted backups for a short period as part of standard backup cycles, which are then purged, and as mentioned, some minimal data for legal compliance if applicable.)
Beta Consideration: We want to be upfront that during beta, some features (like an in-app data export or automated deletion) might still be in development. If anything isn’t yet self-service via the app, our support team will happily handle it manually for you. Our users’ rights remain a priority even as we polish the product.
Region-Specific Rights: Depending on your location, you may have additional privacy rights (for example, GDPR in Europe provides certain rights like data portability, the right to object to processing, etc.). We strive to honor all applicable laws. If you’re in a jurisdiction with specific privacy rights, please contact us and we will accommodate your request in line with those laws.
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies primarily to enhance your experience and for analytics. For instance, we might use cookies to remember your login session or to see how many visitors read our blog posts about scam prevention. We do not use cookies for invasive tracking or advertising purposes in the beta phase. Third-party analytics services (like Google Analytics) may set their own cookies to collect general usage info (like what pages are most visited, how users navigate the site, etc.). This helps us understand and improve our web presence. You can control cookies through your browser settings – you can refuse or delete cookies, though note that some site features (like staying logged in) might be affected if cookies are disabled.
The Scam Defense mobile app does not use traditional cookies, but it may use similar concepts (like a unique token stored on your device) for maintaining your session. These are strictly functional – for example, to keep you logged in or to push real-time notifications about blocked calls.
Scam Defense is not directed to children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are under 13, please do not use our services. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will promptly delete it. Parents or guardians: if you become aware that your child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.
As we’re in beta and continuously evolving Scam Defense, this Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any significant changes. For example, we might send an email or display an in-app message summarizing the changes. The “Last Updated” date at the top will always indicate the latest revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For minor tweaks that don’t materially affect your rights (like clarifying language), we may not send a prominent alert, but they will be reflected here.
Rest assured, we will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Policy without your explicit consent. If, hypothetically, we ever considered using personal data in a new way you originally agreed to, we would seek your permission first.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding your privacy or this policy, please reach out to us:
Email: hello@scamdefenseusa.com
We take privacy inquiries seriously and will respond as soon as possible, typically within 30 days.
Thank you for trusting Scam Defense with your call protection needs. We’re honored to safeguard not just your phone line, but also your privacy. As a beta user, your feedback is invaluable – if something isn’t clear or you have suggestions on our privacy practices, let us know. We’re committed to getting this right. Your security and confidence are our top priorities, and we’ll continue working hard to deserve your trust.