Online scams are everywhere, and spotting them is becoming tougher, says Sorin Mihailovici, Design Studies ’08, Design Foundations ’06, Distinguished Alumni Award ’15. The creator of the online platform Scam Detector focuses on providing information, reporting, research and analysis to help people know if websites are safe and trustworthy.

“Every time someone writes that they avoided losing their savings, or recognized a fake job offer because of something they read on our site – that’s priceless,” says Mihailovici. “Knowing that something I built helps people all over the world make smarter choices online – that’s what keeps me going.”

Scam Detector, says Mihailovici, was born from a real story, a bit of frustration, and a desire to turn awareness into protection. Seeing a friend scammed out of $28,000 in an online scheme made Mihailovici realize that anyone can become a victim. He was inspired to create a short video explaining how the scam worked, and it went viral. Today, Mihailovici’s content is used by educators, police departments and newsrooms in major media outlets, including CBC, Forbes and FOX.

Here are Mihailovici’s five top tips to keep yourself safe:

1. Be wary of first contact: Whether it’s a text, call or DM – if someone reaches out to you, verify everything before acting. Scammers thrive on unsolicited contact. It’s simple, but it eliminates 80 per cent of the risk.
2. Slow down. Scammers create urgency – if something feels rushed, that’s your red flag.
3. Verify, don’t trust. Look up company names, phone numbers and email addresses before engaging.
4. Use official channels. Never click on links from texts or emails that look suspicious – go directly to the website yourself.
5. Be skeptical of “too good to be true.” Whether it’s an online deal, a job offer or an investment, if it sounds amazing and involves little effort, it’s almost always a trap.

Mihailovici says the biggest challenge to creating the platform was credibility. Many people online will claim to be experts in fraud prevention, but few have the journalistic background or data to support those claims. So Mihailovici focuses on being transparent. Scam Detector names scams, cites sources, works with cybersecurity experts, and even calls out companies, if necessary.

“I thought I’d be dealing mostly with online fraud but quickly discovered that every industry – from dating apps to real estate to charity fundraising – has its own dark corners,” says the Scam Detector founder.

Mihailovici says his time at MacEwan taught him to get to the heart of a story fast, think critically, verify every fact and be creative – all of which helped shape the backbone of Scam Detector. He plans to continue expanding Scam Detector, working on new digital tools that use AI to identify scams faster, and exploring partnerships that bring scam education into classrooms and social media.