Currently, the ScamShield app only supports uploading screenshots of text messages. This is because the ScamShield app uses a technology called optical character recognition (OCR) to automatically extract text from these screenshots in a specific structured format that our models are trained to recognise. The extracted text helps us analyse text messages and improve the ScamShield app’s ability to detect and filter similar scam messages more accurately in the future.

To make sure the ScamShield app works reliably, the system is designed to read screenshots that follow a certain format (for example, regular SMS/ WhatsApp/ Telegram text layouts). If a screenshot doesn’t match these expected formats, such as screenshots from social media, emails, or apps, our system may not be able to read the information correctly. This is why the ScamShield app currently does not support uploading screenshots from these other platforms.

By limiting uploads to formats we can accurately process, we ensure that scam detection remains effective and avoids false results. We are continuously exploring ways to expand the ScamShield app’s capabilities to handle more types of scams in the future, and appreciate your understanding.

To be properly processed, screenshots need to have the following information in clear view:

1. Sender ID or name/ number of the sender

2. Message content or the suspicious text in the conversation

Here are some examples of message screenshots that we support:

For more information on how to check for scams by uploading screenshots, please refer to our product guide here: https://guide.scamshield.gov.sg/using-scamshield/check-for-scams