Skip to content
Local Heights Local Heights Heights Audit

Tool · Local Heights Scam Checker

Scam Checker South Africa

Is it a scam? Paste a message, link or number to check. You can add a screenshot too. We’ll show you the warning signs we spot and what to do next. It covers SMS, WhatsApp and email scams, plus the ones aimed at local businesses and Google listings.

No sign-in. We don’t store what you paste. Screenshots are read on your device and never uploaded. We only count visits anonymously, without cookies.

1Paste a message, link or number

Blur or delete ID numbers, account numbers and other people’s details first. We don’t need them.

Or add a screenshot. We read the text on your device and it never leaves it.

Add it to your Home Screen

Keep the Scam Checker one tap away, so you can check a message before you reply. On iPhone, in Safari:

  1. Step 1: Safari on iPhone showing the Scam Checker page, with the three dots button at the bottom right circled

    Tap the three dots at the bottom right.

  2. Step 2: the Safari menu open, with Share circled

    Tap Share.

  3. Step 3: the iPhone share sheet, with Add to Home Screen circled

    Tap Add to Home Screen.

  4. Step 4: the Add to Home Screen screen named Scam Checker South Africa, with the Add button circled

    Tap Add.

On Android: open it in Chrome, tap the menu (three dots) and choose Add to Home screen or Install app.

Is this link safe to click? Check a link first

Paste any link on its own and we’ll check whether the address copies a well known name like a bank, SARS or Google, where it really goes after any redirects, and how long ago the website was registered. A brand new website using a bank’s name is a common warning sign. Even a clean result isn’t a promise, so if a message pushes you to log in or pay, go to the company’s website yourself instead of using the link.

WhatsApp scam check: common tricks in South Africa

  • “Hi Mom, this is my new number” followed by a request for money.
  • A supplier or landlord saying their banking details have changed.
  • Someone asking you to forward a code you just got by SMS. That code can let them take over your WhatsApp.
  • Job offers that pay you to like posts or leave reviews, then ask you to pay in.

Paste the WhatsApp message above, or add a screenshot, to see what we spot.

Questions

How does it work?

It looks for the signs common to scams in South Africa, like pressure to act fast, requests for a PIN or code, discounts on fines and messages pretending to be a bank, SARS or a courier. For a phone number, we look at the format and prefix, like premium rate 09 numbers. For a link, we also check if the address copies a well known name, where it redirects to and how long ago the website was registered.

Do you store what I paste?

No. The message is checked in your browser. If it has a link, only the link is sent to our server to check, and it’s forgotten straight away. Screenshots are read on your device and never uploaded. We don’t keep your IP address.

If it says Low signs, can I trust it?

No. Low signs only means we didn’t spot the common warning signs. A new scam can look clean. Check before you pay or share anything.

Local Heights (Pty) Ltd · Reg. no. 2026/820859/07 · [email protected] · WhatsApp 075 330 9812 · Privacy policy · Terms. Local Heights is independent and not affiliated with Google, SARS or any bank. Screenshot reading uses the open-source Tesseract.js (Apache 2.0), served from this site.

This is a precaution only, not a guarantee. Always check directly with the official website or app of whoever the message claims to be from, by logging in to your own account.