You can’t be there every time they open their email. Now you don’t have to be.
No more “is this real?” calls in the middle of your workday. Your mom or dad forwards the suspicious message to Kin, and in about a minute gets a plain answer: Scam, Unsure, or No red flags found — with one thing to do next.
If it’s dangerous, you hear about it too — even the ones they’d be too embarrassed to mention.
No app for your parent. No passwords. Nothing to install. If they can forward an email or take a screenshot, they can check with Kin.
Not sure about an email or text? Check with Kin.
- Email it to
- kin@checkwithkin.com
- Or text a screenshot to
- (555) 010-0000
Kin only ever replies. We never call you, never text you first, and never ask for money, passwords, codes, or to install anything. Our replies always include your family word.
Three steps. Your parent only does the first one.
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They forward it
A suspicious email goes to kin@checkwithkin.com. A sketchy text gets forwarded, or screenshotted and texted, to (555) 010-0000. That’s the whole job.
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We check it — without clicking anything
We look at who really sent it, where the links really go, how old those websites are, and whether the message uses the pressure tricks scammers rely on. We never open the links.
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They get a plain answer. You get told.
In about a minute, a short reply in the same place: the verdict, up to three reasons, and one thing to do. If it’s a scam, you get a text right away. Every Sunday, you get a summary.
Smart people check first.
Scammers count on one thing: that you’ll act fast and keep it to yourself. The people who don’t get taken are the ones who pause and ask someone. Kin is that someone, any time of day.
Got an email that seems off? A text about a package, a prize, or your Medicare card? Just check with Kin. Forward it, and you’ll have an answer before your coffee gets cold.
- Anyone in the family can forward. Kids, grandkids, you. Scammers go after everyone, and younger people lose money to them more often than you’d think.
- Nothing to install or sign into. If you can forward an email or send a photo, you already know how.
- Your family is told about the dangerous ones. We say so up front. It’s so you don’t have to make that call yourself — and you can switch it off any time.
- We only ever reply. Kin never calls, never texts first, and never asks for money, passwords, or codes.
The fake “Prime renewal” email, and what Dad gets back
This is one of the most common scams in inboxes right now: a fake “your payment failed” notice from Amazon, Netflix, Paramount+, or Norton. It looks real. The reply is written so a 78-year-old can act on it in ten seconds.
- 🚩 ScamDon’t click, call, or reply. Delete it. You’ll get a text.
- ⚠️ UnsureSomething’s off. Check with the company directly, using a number you already have.
- ✅ No red flags foundWe didn’t find anything. We still never say “safe” — see the FAQ.
From: Prime Membership <billing@prime-renewal-notice.com>
Action Required: Your Prime payment was declined
We could not process your membership renewal. Your benefits will be suspended in 24 hours unless you update your payment information.
Good call sending this. Here’s why it’s a scam:
- It isn’t from Amazon. It came from “prime-renewal-notice.com”.
- The “update payment” link goes to a website created 3 days ago.
- Real companies don’t give you 24 hours or they cut you off.
What to do: Don’t click anything. Delete it. If you’re worried about your Amazon account, open the Amazon app yourself or call the number on your card.
Family word: bluebird · Sarah has been told.
At the same moment, his daughter Sarah gets this text (example)
🚩 Dad forwarded a fake Amazon Prime “payment declined” email. We told him to delete it and not click. No action needed from you unless he already entered card details — if so, call the number on the back of the card today.
Why the reply looks like that
- Verdict first, in one word, so it works even if they stop reading.
- Never more than three reasons. Never more than one thing to do.
- We never repeat a phone number or link from the message.
- The family word and your name prove the reply is really from us.
Boring technical checks first. Then an eye for the tricks.
Most scams fail a few cheap, mechanical tests. We run those every time, then look at the message the way a careful friend would.
Who really sent it
The address behind the display name, and whether the sending domain actually belongs to the company the email claims to be from. “Amazon” from anything but amazon.com is a red flag on its own.
Where the links really go
We read every link without opening it. How old is the website? Is it a look-alike of a real brand (amaz0n, paramount-billing)? Is it on Google’s list of known dangerous sites?
The pressure tricks
Deadlines, “your photos will be deleted”, gift cards, “don’t tell anyone”, fake Medicare kits (busiest during open enrollment, through Dec 7), prize notices, mystery WhatsApp or Telegram invites, and the romance and “we have your video” bait that targets older adults.
Screenshots too
Text messages and pop-ups can’t be forwarded cleanly, so a screenshot is fine. We read the picture the same way we read an email.
You hear about the dangerous ones. And you see the pattern.
Right away: a text whenever your parent gets a 🚩 Scam verdict, with what we told them and whether you need to do anything.
Every Sunday: a short digest of the week. Over time it tells you something useful — which scams are targeting your parent, whether they’re forwarding more or less, and what to talk about on the next call.
Your parent knows you get these. It’s on the fridge card, and they can turn alerts off at any time. If they do, you’ll get a note saying so, and they know you will. We tell them it’s so they don’t have to make that call — not so anyone can check up on them.
Dad got 3 scam attempts this week
| Fake Amazon Prime “payment declined” | 🚩 Scam |
| “Your Google Photos will be deleted” | 🚩 Scam |
| Text about a MyChart Medicare kit | 🚩 Scam |
| Email from his credit union about a new branch | ✅ No red flags |
| Calendar invite from a name he didn’t recognize | ⚠️ Unsure |
Dad forwarded all five himself. Worth mentioning: the Medicare one is going around widely this month, so he may get it again by phone.
We’re reading your parent’s mail. We take that seriously.
Deleted after 30 days
The forwarded messages and screenshots are erased automatically. We keep only the verdict and what kind of scam it was — never the content.
Encrypted, and nobody browses it
Everything is encrypted at rest. No human reads your parent’s messages except for quality checks you agree to, and only when something is flagged.
Never used to train anything
Your family’s messages are not used to train AI models — not by us, and not by the AI provider we use. That’s written into our terms.
We only answer registered family
Messages from any other address or number are ignored. Nobody can use your parent’s address to reach them through us.
Full details in the privacy policy (draft).
One price per family.
Less than the fake Norton invoice they keep getting. Covers one or two parents and up to two adult children on alerts. Cancel any time; no phone call required.
Home for Thanksgiving? Set it up together in about 10 minutes: add their address and number, put the card on the fridge, and send one test message so they see how it works.
Pricing shown is for early access and may change at launch.
- Unlimited checks by email and text
- Replies in about a minute, around the clock
- Instant alerts to you on 🚩 Scam
- Weekly digest every Sunday
- Printable fridge card and setup help for your parent
- 30-day free trial. No card to start.
Things people ask before signing up their parents
My mom won’t use it. She doesn’t like being helped.
Most parents don’t — and they shouldn’t have to feel helped. So don’t pitch it as protection. Try: “Before you deal with anything weird, just check with Kin. I do it too.” Then forward one of your own suspicious emails in front of her.
Every reply starts by giving her credit for checking. There’s no app, no account, and nothing that says “senior.” Most people find it’s easier than calling you.
Do you ever say something is safe?
No. Never. The best answer we give is “No red flags found,” and it always comes with the same advice: if you want to be sure, contact the company using the number on your card or in their app — not anything in the message.
No scam checker can prove a message is genuine. We’d rather your parent make one unnecessary phone call than trust a message because a computer called it “safe.” When we aren’t sure, we say “Unsure” on purpose.
Does my parent need to install an app or create an account?
No. They need to be able to forward an email, or take a screenshot and send a text. You do the signup. They get a fridge card with the address and phone number and one sentence about what we will never do.
What if the scam is a text message or a phone pop-up?
Screenshot it and text the picture to our number. We read screenshots the same way we read emails. Phone calls and voicemails are the one thing we can’t check yet — the fridge card tells your parent what to do about those (hang up, call you).
Does my parent know I get alerts?
Yes. It’s on the card and in the welcome email they receive. They can turn the alerts to you off by texting ALERTS OFF, and they’ll still get verdicts themselves. If they do, we let you know that alerts are off. We don’t tell you what they send after that, and only they can turn alerts back on. We don’t build tools that watch a competent adult without telling them.
What happens to the messages you receive?
They’re encrypted, used only to produce the verdict, and deleted automatically after 30 days. We keep the verdict and the type of scam so your weekly digest works. Nothing is used to train AI. See the privacy policy.
Can you be wrong?
Yes. Scammers change tactics every week. That’s why we bias toward “Unsure,” never say “safe,” and always tell your parent how to double-check directly with the company. Treat us as a careful second opinion, not a guarantee. If we ever miss one, we want to hear about it.
Isn’t this what antivirus does?
Not really. Antivirus watches the computer, and most scam checkers are apps your parent has to remember to open and paste into. We don’t try to out-clever them. The difference is that there’s nothing for your parent to install or learn — they forward it the way they’d forward a joke — and you get told when it matters. Keep your antivirus too.
How do I know this isn’t a scam itself?
Fair question — you should ask it of everything. Here’s how we work, and it never changes: we never call, never text or email first, never ask for money, passwords, or codes, and never send links to your parent. We only reply to messages you or your family send us, and every real reply includes your family word.
If anyone claiming to be Kin breaks one of those rules, it isn’t us. Forward it to us — it’ll come back 🚩.
What does my parent do while I’m at work?
Nothing different. Replies are automatic and arrive in about a minute, day or night. You only get involved when it’s a 🚩 — and even then the message tells you whether anything actually needs doing.
We’re starting with 20 families.
For the first few weeks, every check is reviewed personally by the founder before the reply goes out. You’ll get honest answers and a direct line while we build.
Free during early access. We’ll tell you before anything costs money.