This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with Matt Sanner, 54, a knowledge supervisor for a financial institution in Tampa. Sanner vibe coded an app known as ScamSkeptic for his growing older household, who had fallen sufferer to scams. Enterprise Insider additionally spoke with Sanner’s dad and mom, Sue, 79, and Bob, 83, about how they’ve used the app. This interview has been edited for size and readability.
MATT: I have been in banking for 25 years, primarily in information administration. I used to be round software program growth in that house, so I had some Python information, however I am not proficient.
On a quarterly name with the financial institution the place I work, I heard in regards to the enormous amount of cash our fraud division protected. It made me surprise how a lot fraud occurs nationwide. I needed to do one thing that made the older people I do know, like my dad and mom, pause for a minute and be extra skeptical.
SUE: My husband and I dwell in Melbourne, Florida, and have been married for 60 years. We have been collectively our total lives — we had been childhood sweethearts. I used to be a stay-at-home mother, then I acquired my registered nursing diploma. I additionally volunteered as a grasp gardener.
Our son Matt has all the time been busy pondering of one thing to do subsequent. He has his 3D printer, which he is all the time engaged on.
BOB: I labored for the federal government for some time earlier than instructing administration and gross sales abilities with a world coaching company. I retired in 2010, and when my sons determined to go south with our grandkids, we adopted them.
Our household has handled on-line scams
MATT: Irrespective of the place I’ve labored, we have acquired necessary cybersecurity coaching, together with detecting phishing, smishing, vishing, and quishing. I really feel like I can pick a rip-off a mile away.
BOB: Matt informed us final 12 months that he needed to develop an app as a result of we had been potential victims of scams. I do assume I am extra liable to falling for one than Sue, who’s extra cautious. I spend extra time on the pc than she does, and due to that, there is a greater window for individuals to maybe reap the benefits of me.
Certainly one of my debit card numbers was acquired, and somebody had tried to make use of it. Now, I exploit lots of protecting measures like double authentication and holding my credit score traces locked.
Zack Wittman for BI
MATT: My mother-in-law acquired a name from what she thought was her grandson, claiming to be in bother and needing her to wire $5,000 instantly. She was on the financial institution making ready the wire when a well-trained financial institution teller requested probing questions in regards to the uncommon habits. The teller recognized it as a rip-off and requested her to name her grandson immediately, who was protected.
My father clicked on a hyperlink in an electronic mail he thought was from his insurance coverage firm, and his pc was hacked. My aunt is all the time filling out on-line quizzes that subtly acquire delicate data, not realizing how scammers can use it to crack passwords or in a name to show their authenticity.
I made a decision to construct an app to guard individuals from potential scams
MATT: I needed to be taught to vibe code a cellular app as a result of I might by no means performed it. I wish to make certain I am “maintaining with the occasions” as AI and vibe coding change the software program growth trade.
My first concept for the app was to intercept the decision or put up a display screen when a possible scammer calls, displaying a message that claims, “Remember.” The technicalities of doing that on each iPhone and Android had been difficult, so I needed to pivot.
I began with utilizing ChatGPT and Perplexity. I needed to create the app with out paying for fancy software program. I informed the chatbots I used to be all for creating a cellular app, however do not know the way to code, so I requested for a breakdown of the steps and methods I would want for the frontend and backend.
After some trial and error, I switched to constructing the app with Cursor and paid for the $20 a month subscription to get by the queries. I did not need the app to have adverts or seize anyone’s data, so I went with a easy setup. I gave Cursor a plain-language command to make every part on the app accessible, with a lightweight background, darkish textual content, large buttons, and adjustable font measurement.
Reddit helped me determine the way to vibe code my app
MATT: I went on Reddit to be taught extra about the way to use these AI instruments. Then I requested the AI instruments to browse Reddit and seize the most typical scams mentioned in Subreddits. After that, I requested ChatGPT to place collectively crimson flags and tips for 25 forms of scams.
I then vibe-coded a course of the place, with out updating the app itself, I can replace the teachings and quizzes by opening a webpage on my pc, modifying one thing, and saving it again to the basis file. This lets me push new content material out shortly as I uncover new scams.
Zack Wittman for BI
I additionally posted a beta model of the app on Reddit to assist with my safety audit and get suggestions, as a result of I’ve heard that one danger of vibe coding is getting one thing that works however has uncovered API keys.
The app is designed across the central idea of serving to individuals like my dad and mom perceive rip-off ways, acknowledge crimson flags, and really feel snug hanging up a name or deleting an electronic mail or textual content.
A brand new type of caregiving
SUE: We had been within the beta testing and gave our enter. We respect the big fonts so we will see higher, and the app helped us find out about an entire new checklist of doable scams. It then asks us inquiries to see whether or not we’d actually be susceptible to this rip-off.
BOB: There’s an outdated sentence I used to make use of in administration consulting that claims, as professionals, we do not should be taught as a lot as we simply should be reminded. Fairly often, that is the identical as being an older particular person. We should be reminded greater than we should be taught issues. This app does an amazing job of reminding us of these items that may get us.
MATT: The app is not fancy, and I am not trying to make this a enterprise that may retire me. If an training software program firm turns into a competitor of mine, that is nice as a result of it means extra of this training is on the market.
Truthfully, the toughest a part of this wasn’t the vibe coding however slightly getting the product on the App Retailer and Google Play Retailer. I do suspect it will’ve been tougher to vibe code one thing respectable if I did not have any publicity to information rules.
I’ve positively observed this has impacted my dad and mom. Now, my dad sends me each Fb or Instagram reel about scams. He is positively extra conscious. They not too long ago encountered a brand new rip-off about driver’s licenses, and despatched it to me. It is humorous to see the way it’s a approach for them to attach with me.