Capstone 21 · FinTech

Scam Check NG

Paste a message. Know if it looks like a scam before you act.

  • 12 frames · MVP
  • Fraud prevention
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Project overview

Mobile fraud checker for pasted SMS or WhatsApp text. Not a bank app.

Platform
Mobile app · Android-first · portrait
Screens
11 screens + 1 unhappy path (12 frames)
Features
3 core features
Bottom navigation
Check · History · Report · Profile
Prototype
4 linked flows

Build order: Auth (screens 1–4) → nav tabs (5–8) → core flow (9–11) → unhappy path → link prototypes.

Problem & primary user

Nigerians lose money daily to SMS, WhatsApp, and fake bank alerts. UK and US users have bank fraud hotlines. Here, victims act in seconds on a USSD or transfer request with no simple checker for local scam patterns.

Primary user

"Blessing, a 32-year-old shop owner in Enugu who almost sent ₦400,000 after a fake GTBank SMS."

Geographic scope: National-level

Goals

User goal: Paste suspicious text and see plain-language risk before sending money.

Business goal: B2B: banks, telcos, and fintechs license fraud-pattern alerts; freemium for consumers.

Success: User pastes text and gets risk level with reasons.

Market context

Question
Answer
Who pays
Banks and telcos license fraud feeds; freemium for consumers (assumption).
Why not WhatsApp
People forward screenshots in family WhatsApp groups. That does not score risk or build a shared scam library.
Design focus
Paste text, instant risk reasons, report new pattern. Mobile-first, works on 2G.

Competitors to check:

  • Bank SMS and app warnings (fragmented)
  • EFCC public alerts (not personal checker)
  • Manual ask a friend (default)

Validate before you design

Interview 3–5 people who match your primary user. Update this brief if interviews contradict it. Do not start hi-fi until you complete the confirmation below.

Validated user (name, age, city)
Problem in one sentence
One interview quote
Success metric for your test
Primary colour and tone
One competitor you checked

Interview prompts

  • "Walk me through the last time this happened."
  • "What did you use instead? WhatsApp, paper, or nothing?"
  • "What would make you trust this on a cheap Android phone?"
  • "What would stop you from using this every week?"

Features & scope

v1 · three features

  1. Paste SMS or WhatsApp text into a checker
  2. See risk level with reasons matched to Nigerian scam types
  3. Report a new scam pattern to help others

Out of scope

  • Blocking transfers
  • Bank login
  • Law enforcement reporting

Screens

Design every row in wireframe, high-fidelity UI, and prototype (where the flow applies).

#LayerScreenWhat to show
1AuthSplash ScreenApp logo, name, and tagline for Scam Check NG.
2AuthOnboarding (1 screen)Explain the app in one sentence. One Get Started button.
3AuthSign Up ScreenName, phone number, state, and PIN. No email required.
4AuthSign In ScreenPhone number and PIN. Forgot PIN link.
5App shellCheck (tab)Large paste field, Check Now button, and two recent checks. Show bottom nav with Check active.
6App shellHistory (tab)List of past checks with date and risk level. Empty state if none yet. Show bottom nav with History active.
7App shellReport (tab)Form to submit a new scam message pattern. Optional screenshot attach. Show bottom nav with Report active.
8App shellProfile (tab)Name, phone, state, and notification toggle. Sign out link. Show bottom nav with Profile active.
9Core flowCheck · Paste and runText pasted, Check Now tapped. Show bottom nav on post-sign-in screens.
10Core flowCheck · Risk resultRisk level with bullet reasons. Show bottom nav on post-sign-in screens.
11Core flowReport · SubmittedScam pattern report thank you state. Show bottom nav on post-sign-in screens.

Layers: Auth = 1–4 · App shell = 5–8 · Core flow = 9–11

Prototype flows

Link these in Figma. Examiners should click through without your voice-over.

Flow 1 · App entry

SplashOnboardingSign Up or Sign Infirst main tab

Flow 2 · Core task (all three features)

Sign InCheck tabRisk resultReport tabSubmittedHistory tab

Core flow screens: Check · Paste and run · Check · Risk result · Report · Submitted

Flow 3 · Navigation

Link every nav tab so examiners can tap each bottom nav item. Tabs: Check · History · Report · Profile

Flow 4 · Unhappy path

Trigger the unhappy path edge case and link to that screen.

Unhappy path

Design this as its own screen state (frame 12):

User pastes empty text. Show: Please paste the full message you received.

Link in Flow 4.

Design system

Colour
You choose. Keep it simple and readable.
Type
You choose. Keep body text easy to read on a phone.
Tone
Design for your user, not for a tech audience.

Reuse on every screen:

  • Primary button (active and disabled states)
  • Input field (empty, filled, and error states)
  • Card or list item used across the app
  • Navigation bar with correct labels and icons
  • Empty state: what the screen looks like with no data

Submit & defense

Deliverables

#DeliverableWhat good looks like
1WireframesEvery screen in this brief, plus the unhappy path. Layout and labels clear.
2High-fidelity UISame frames polished. You choose colour and type. Bottom nav on every post-sign-in screen.
3PrototypeFour linked flows (entry, core task, navigation, unhappy path). Examiners can use the app without your voice-over.
4AI prototypeFigma Make: at least 2 screens. Share link.
5Case study (1 page)Problem · User · Who pays · Competitors · Solution · One design decision
6Presentation (6–8 slides)Name · Problem · User · Solution · Key screens · Flow demo · One decision

Before you present

  • Every screen designed in wireframe and hi-fi
  • Unhappy path screen designed and linked in the prototype
  • Four prototype flows linked end to end
  • At least one empty state on a list tab
  • Shared components reused: button, input, card or row, bottom nav
  • Case study names who pays and one competitor you checked
  • You can explain one design decision in critique (why, not what)
  • Completed 5 user interviews or 1 usability test
  • Checked at least one competitor listed under Market context

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