How it works
- 1Choose who it’s forA family, a company, a charity or a creator.
- 2Answer on your own phoneYes, no or not sure. Nothing is saved.
- 3Read the tricks and fixesOne fix for every yes, with a free tool.
- 4What this check cannot doIt does not search the internet. Read the limits.
Step 1
Who is this checklist for?
Step 2
What can be found in public?
Your answers stay on your device
The check runs on your own phone or computer, inside this page. It stores nothing: no sign-up, no cookies and no saved answers. The page’s security setting (a Content Security Policy, a rule the browser enforces) blocks it from connecting to any server after it has loaded.
- Close the tab or press Start again, and your answers are gone.
- Load the page, then turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data: the check keeps working.
Why these questions
Each question is based on a trick that a government agency or regulator has described in a dated warning. The Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States warned on 3 December 2024 that criminals use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to copy voices, faces and photos for fake calls, profiles and videos, and advised keeping photos and voice recordings private and agreeing a secret word with family. The Federal Trade Commission warned in March 2023 that a short audio clip posted online can be enough to clone a relative’s voice. The Federal Bureau of Investigation counted more than $55 billion in exposed losses to business email compromise, where criminals pose as a boss or supplier to redirect payments, between October 2013 and December 2023. In the United Kingdom, the National Cyber Security Centre has warned that criminals pose as charities to collect donations, and the Charity Commission asks trustees to assess fraud risks every year.
What this check cannot do
It does not search the internet. It uses only your answers, so it cannot tell you what is actually online about you, your company or your organisation, and it cannot find copies of your pages or accounts. A result with no details marked yes reflects your answers only, not a search. To see what is out there, search your own name, your organisation’s name and your phone number, look at your profiles while signed out, and check people-search sites.
How UtilForge tested this tool
Before release, each of the four checklists was run with every question answered yes, every question answered no, a mix including “not sure”, and no answers at all. Every link to another UtilForge tool or guide was checked, the printout was checked, and the page was checked at phone width with the network watched in the browser’s developer tools to confirm it makes no request while you answer. If you find a question that is unclear, the buttons below open an email you can send.
Sources
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud”, public service announcement I-120324-PSA, 3 December 2024
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Business Email Compromise: The $55 Billion Scam”, public service announcement I-091124-PSA, 11 September 2024
- Federal Trade Commission, “Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes”, consumer alert, 20 March 2023
- Federal Trade Commission, “Family emergency scams”, consumer advice (checked 24 October 2026)
- National Cyber Security Centre (United Kingdom), “Small organisations guide to cyber security”, published 9 April 2026, reviewed 21 July 2026
- National Cyber Security Centre (United Kingdom), “Charities offered latest insight into key cyber threats to help keep out attackers”, 20 January 2023
- Charity Commission for England and Wales, “Protect your charity from fraud”, 27 November 2024
- Africa Check, fact-check on the “biometric identity fraud” chain message, 18 February 2026 (on how deepfake fraud targets people through public video and audio, including a 2024 video-call fraud in Hong Kong)
This checklist is general information, not professional security advice.
Questions and answers
Does this tool search the internet for my details?
No. It uses only the answers you give, on your own phone or computer. To see what is actually online, search your own name and number, look at your profiles while signed out, and check people-search sites with Remove your details from people-search sites.
Is anything I answer saved?
No. The page stores nothing and makes no connection to a server while you answer. Close the tab, or press Start again, and your answers are gone.
Can a criminal really copy a voice from a video?
The Federal Trade Commission warned in March 2023 that a short clip of a voice posted online can be enough to clone it, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in December 2024 that criminals use AI-made voices in fake emergency calls. A family safe word and a call back on a number you already have are the checks both agencies point to.
Which checklist should a sole trader use?
Use the company checklist for the business, and the family checklist for your household. Many questions overlap, because the same details often serve both.
Can I use this with a group?
Yes. Libraries, care homes, small businesses and community groups can go through the questions together on one screen, then print the one-page checklist for each person or team to keep.