A €4,000 scam sparked a startup that stops phone fraud before your mobile even rings
For Rita Barbosa, the idea for her startup, Guardian Labs, began when a phone scam targeted her grandmother. She recounts: “The scammers told her that the water she was drinking wasn't safe. They led ...
Rita Barbosa's grandmother was scammed out of €4,000 by con artists pretending to warn her about unsafe water. This incident inspired Barbosa to create Guardião, an AI-powered startup that aims to stop phone fraud before the recipient even receives a call or message. The app implements AI models that operate locally on the user's phone, analyzing incoming calls and messages for signs of scams such as spoofing, phishing links, and manipulation tactics.
If a scam is detected, Guardião blocks the interaction before the user can fall victim to it. The technology behind Guardião is made possible by advancements in small AI models capable of running locally on devices, ensuring user privacy and protection. The Portuguese police provided Guardião with data on phone scams to refine its AI algorithms, and the company continues to improve its models by incorporating data from various countries to stay ahead of evolving scam tactics.
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