Why I built CheckTwice

CheckTwice exists because of my mom.

She’s smart, and she doesn’t get fooled easily. But a while back, my two sisters and I noticed the texts and calls she was getting had changed. A package that needed a small fee before delivery. Her bank asking her to verify something. Some of them looked real enough that I had to read them twice myself.

Our fix at the time was a group text. One of us would spot something, screenshot it, and warn the others. “Mom, if you get this one, delete it.” It sort of worked. But it depended on one of us seeing the scam first, and the scams were coming faster than we could keep up.

Here’s the thing. I’m a developer, and I’ve spent years working with AI systems. I know firsthand what this technology can do, which means I also know what it can do in the wrong hands. The scams targeting my mom weren’t sloppy anymore. They were written cleanly, timed well, and built to feel urgent. The same technology making them better could be the thing protecting her, and nobody had built that in a way she would actually use.

So I built it. She shows CheckTwice whatever she’s unsure about, a text, an email, a link, even a photo of her screen, and about ten seconds later she gets a straight answer in plain words. Trust it, be careful, or walk away. And what to do next. When something dangerous does turn up, the family knows too, without her having to forward anything or feel like she’s being watched.

Because I built this for my own family, there are a few things I won’t budge on.

It never talks down to anyone. Checking something is the smart move, not an embarrassing one. My mom checks things now without feeling silly about it, and honestly I’m proud of her.

It stays calm. Scams work by rushing people. The answer you get here should slow everything down, not add to the fear.

Nothing you check gets saved. Your messages are your business, full stop.

And when it can’t be sure, it says so and gives you the safe move anyway. I’d rather admit uncertainty than hand you a confident wrong answer.

If you found this page because you’re worried about your own mom or dad, I know exactly where you’re standing. My sisters and I were there too. That worry is the reason this exists.

Lance Roylo