Philip Sebastian

Philip Sebastian

korpus
Scam Detection Made Simple

korpus
Scam Detection Made Simple

Helping families stay safe from digital scams — through design and AI.

Helping families stay safe from digital scams — through design and AI.

Year

2025 - Present

Company

korpus

Role

Design Lead

Visit beta.korpus.app

Visit beta.korpus.app

Visit beta.korpus.app

The Problem

The Problem

It started when my dad received a fake Amazon delivery text, and my mom nearly lost thousands to a convincing bank scam call. Watching how shaken they felt made me realize how vulnerable people are — especially those who didn’t grow up with tech. I wanted to build something simple, reliable, and reassuring — a first line of defense.

It started when my dad received a fake Amazon delivery text, and my mom nearly lost thousands to a convincing bank scam call. Watching how shaken they felt made me realize how vulnerable people are — especially those who didn’t grow up with tech. I wanted to build something simple, reliable, and reassuring — a first line of defense.

The Problem

The Problem

People shouldn’t have to rely on someone else to feel safe online. They need something fast, clear, and trustworthy — right in their pocket.

Korpus started when my parents nearly fell for a fake DMV text. That moment reframed the problem: people don’t just need detection — they need calm, clear guidance in the moment.

People shouldn’t have to rely on someone else to feel safe online. They need something fast, clear, and trustworthy — right in their pocket.

Korpus started when my parents nearly fell for a fake DMV text. That moment reframed the problem: people don’t just need detection — they need calm, clear guidance in the moment.

The Vision

The Vision

Korpus is built to make scam detection instant and educational. Upload a suspicious message, and our AI explains in seconds why it might be unsafe — so users not only stay protected but learn to spot red flags themselves.

Korpus is built to make scam detection instant and educational. Upload a suspicious message, and our AI explains in seconds why it might be unsafe — so users not only stay protected but learn to spot red flags themselves.

Core idea

Core idea

Peace of mind through clarity.

Peace of mind through clarity.

Brand & Identity

Brand & Identity

The Korpus identity centers on vigilance and clarity. The eye-in-frame logo symbolizes scanning and protection, while the soft geometric typeface and blue palette build trust and calm. The brand is designed to feel protective, not punitive.

The Korpus identity centers on vigilance and clarity. The eye-in-frame logo symbolizes scanning and protection, while the soft geometric typeface and blue palette build trust and calm. The brand is designed to feel protective, not punitive.

Brand System

Logo concept (eye-in-frame): scanning + protection.

Color: Trust blue, with state colors (green safe, red scam, orange suspicious).

Type: Clean, rounded geometry for readability and warmth.

Logo Concept

The logo is built around the metaphor of an eye within a frame — a symbol for scanning, detecting, and keeping watch.

  • The eye represents vigilance and safety, echoing the product’s purpose of protecting users from threats.

  • The brackets / scan frame suggest the act of focusing in, just like a camera or OCR tool would when analyzing text.

  • This duality communicates the core function: Korpus looks closer so users don’t have to.

Typography & Wordmark

The wordmark uses a clean, geometric typeface that feels both modern and trustworthy. Rounded edges and balanced proportions soften the tech-heavy nature of AI, making the product feel human-first.

In early testing, users expressed concern about overly “technical” brands — so I opted for a system that feels protective without being intimidating.

Color & Visual Language

• Blue was chosen as the primary color for its strong association with trust, security, and reliability.
• Accent colors (green, red, orange) extend into the product’s scan states, reinforcing clarity: safe, dangerous, or suspicious.
• The identity system flexes from friendly and minimal (light backgrounds, clean typography) to strong and alert (black backgrounds, bold contrasts) depending on context.

Design rationale bullets (concise)

  • Color-coded states reduce cognitive load

  • Confidence % adds transparency

  • Red flags / positive indicators teach patterns

  • Next-step guidance closes the loop


Design Rationale


  • Color-coded feedback states (green, red, orange) makes risk level instantly recognizable, reducing cognitive load in stressful moments.

  • Confidence percentage adds transparency to the AI’s decision-making.

  • Contextual explanations (red flags vs positive indicators) help users understand why the result was given.

  • Action-oriented guidance ensures the experience doesn’t stop at detection but empowers users to take protective steps.

Home Page

Home Page

The home page gives users an immediate sense of control — showing their scan history, safe vs scam breakdowns, and even global scam trends.

The home page gives users an immediate sense of control — showing their scan history, safe vs scam breakdowns, and even global scam trends.

User Quote

User Quote

“Seeing the global numbers made me feel less alone — like I’m contributing to something bigger.”

“Seeing the global numbers made me feel less alone — like I’m contributing to something bigger.”

For many testers, seeing how many others faced similar scams was reassuring: it turned isolation into community.

“Seeing the global numbers made me feel less alone — like we’re fighting this together.”

For many testers, seeing how many others faced similar scams was reassuring: it turned isolation into community.

“Seeing the global numbers made me feel less alone — like we’re fighting this together.”

How it Works

Korpus uses a combination of AI, OCR, and pattern recognition trained on real-world scam messages. It analyzes:


Language tone and urgency (phishing patterns)
Suspicious links or spoofed domains
Repetitive scam phrases flagged in previous reports

Our proprietary system continuously learns from user reports. The more people scan, the smarter Korpus becomes — creating a collective shield of awareness.

Home Page

The home page gives users an immediate sense of control — showing their scan history, safe vs scam breakdowns, and even global scam trends.

For many testers, seeing how many others faced similar scams was reassuring: it turned isolation into community.

Copy Patterns (Channel-Specific)


  • Email phishing: domain mismatch, link/attachment risk, impersonation cues

  • SMS/text: unknown sender, urgent tone, shortened links

  • Voicemail/robocall: automated voice, spoofed IDs, payment demands


Consistent structure, familiar words, and “one clear action” per state reduce panic and help people move forward.

Trust & Safety Decisions

Trust Principles

  • Human-first tone: calm, direct, non-technical

  • Explainability: show reasons, not just verdicts

  • Community value: every scan improves the model

  • Optional feedback: “See a mistake?” for corrections

  • Privacy: scans are anonymized; no contacts harvested

Results Page

Results Page

To simplify results, I designed three clear states — Safe, Suspicious, and Confirmed Scam — each color-coded and paired with confidence levels and next steps.

The results page is also the emotional center of the product.


It’s where users get answers — Safe, Suspicious, or Confirmed Scam — each paired with a confidence score, clear explanation, and next steps.

Color-coded feedback (green, orange, red) and plain-language summaries turn technical AI output into emotional clarity.

Design goals:

  • Transparency (show confidence levels)

  • Education (why it was flagged)

  • Actionability (what to do next)

“I finally understood why a message was dangerous, not just that it was.”

“I finally understood why a message was dangerous, not just that it was.”

Community & Learning

Community & Learning

Each scan improves Korpus’s detection model. Users can flag false positives or help improve accuracy instantly.


Soon, Korpus will also show how many others flagged the same message — reinforcing accuracy and trust through transparency.

Each scan improves Korpus’s detection model. Users can flag false positives or help improve accuracy instantly.


Soon, Korpus will also show how many others flagged the same message — reinforcing accuracy and trust through transparency.

“I finally understood why a message was dangerous, not just that it was.”

“I finally understood why a message was dangerous, not just that it was.”

Early Impact

Within the first month of beta, Korpus saw:

10%

weekly signup growth

10%

weekly signup growth

10%

weekly signup growth

990+

scans

990+

scans

990+

scans

30

new users/week

30

new users/week

30

new users/week

Dozens of heartfelt emails from users sharing how Korpus helped protect them or their parents

User Testimonial

User Testimonial

“I love that it tells me exactly what to do next.”

“This saved my mom from clicking a fake payment link so much sooner than I expected.”

“It was very simple and straight forward.”

“Your app literally saved my mom from clicking a fake DMV payment link.”

“I love that it tells me exactly what to do next.”

“This saved my mom from clicking a fake payment link so much sooner than I expected.”

“It was very simple and straight forward.”

“Your app literally saved my mom from clicking a fake DMV payment link.”

My Role & Constraints

My Role & Constraints

Role & Scope


  • Product strategy, flows, interaction design

  • UX writing & content standards

  • Brand identity (logo, color, typography)

  • MVP research & early tester program

  • user interviews

  • everything


Constraints


  • Small, fast beta (limited engineering)

  • Must work with screenshots (OCR) + copy/paste

  • Audience skew: older adults + busy people

Reflection & Takeaways

Reflection & Takeaways

Building Korpus taught me how design can protect, educate, and empower all at once.




It reminded me that trust is built not by what you say, but how you guide people through uncertainty.




For me, Korpus isn’t just a project — it’s a mission to make digital safety simple for everyone, starting with the people who matter most: my family.

Building Korpus taught me how design can protect, educate, and empower all at once.




It reminded me that trust is built not by what you say, but how you guide people through uncertainty.




For me, Korpus isn’t just a project — it’s a mission to make digital safety simple for everyone, starting with the people who matter most: my family.

What I’d Ship Next

Role & Scope


  • Auto-scan from share sheet (one-tap from Messages/Mail)

  • Breach & brand alerts (if an org you use is actively spoofed)

  • Family mode (share results with a trusted contact)

  • Deeper community signals (trending scams in your area)


What I Learned

Designing for high-stress moments is about reducing decisions and increasing clarity.

Transparent language, consistent patterns, and one obvious next step build trust faster than any “smart” UI.

Closing note

Closing note

“Korpus isn’t just an app for me. It’s how I help protect people like my parents — and design for trust in moments that matter.”

“Korpus isn’t just an app for me. It’s how I help protect people like my parents — and design for trust in moments that matter.”

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