SCAMSHIELD
Crafting solutions to better tackle scams
CONTEXT
ScamShield is an iOS app that detects and blocks scam SMS-es and calls for users. Scams are becoming more complex in this digital age. In 2021, 23,391 scam cases were reported. This is a 53% surge from 2020 and makes up half of the cases reported in 2021.
There was a clear need to re-assess ScamShield and its capabilities as well as explore other solutions that could help tackle this problem.
MY ROLE
I was one of three designers on the ScamShield design team. My work in ScamShield largely involved end to end product design from exploratory research, ideation, wire-framing to usability testing. ScamShield required me to work closely with our engineers, product manager and UX writer.
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
What do we know about scams so far?
The design team sent out a survey to get a general sensing of how the public dealt with and managed scams. We then conducted user interviews and followed up on users' responses in the first survey to understand their motivations and reasons behind their actions.
KEY INSIGHTS
Participants were able to identify low level scams (+65, automated voice)
Participants search for scams on Google and
They tend to trust crowdsourced information as answers to their search
A central repository would be useful for checking
Participants did not know where to report scams and found it troublesome to do so
A CHANGE IN DIRECTION
The current ScamShield app was limited in its capabilities and scope. We needed to switch our approach to a community based one to get ahead of scammers.
IDEATION
Fighting scams as a community
The insights we found pointed us towards a central repository to help the public check if a scam was running on the ground. My colleague, Khaleedah, conducted a workshop with the entire ScamShield team to flesh out the important features and flow of this scam checker. After the workshop the designers refined the flow further.
The scam checker is a platform to help the public verify if something was a scam. The platform will cross check data that is crowdsourced to provide users a result.
ENCOURAGING REPORTING
From our survey, we understood that current reporting channels were too troublesome, i.e. filing a police report. ScamShield as a reporting channel was not widely known. We needed to encourage reporting by making it easier and more accessible.
More reports also mean more data points that the checker could use to cross check.
BUILDING A REPORTING FLOW
Reporting scams should be easy
We created reporting channels on widely used platforms. This ensures that users who do not have the ScamShield app can report any scam they encounter. My role here was to map out the flow of the Telegram bot and conduct in-person usability tests with users. I partnered with our UX writer, Shanty to come up with the copy for the bot.
WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THESE CROWDSOURCED DATA?
All scam reports made through ScamShield and our reporting channels are eventually funnelled to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for their review.
WORKING WITH AUTHORITIES
An efficient workflow
All scam reports made through ScamShield and our reporting channels are eventually funnelled to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and presented to them via a dashboard.
Improving the dashboard was part of ScamShield 2.0 because we expect a large increase in reports coming in from different channels.
Our high level goals for the dashboard were:
To reduce time spent marking reports as scam/not scam
To Identify high priority reports for them to act on
To block entities (e.g. links, emails, senders etc) that are malicious
We are currently in the midst of concept testing with police officers 🔒