Plain-English notes on what Silas protects you from — new scams it has learned to spot, and news sources it has rated. Published as protection ships.
July 27, 2026
Silas was updated this week with two new protections — both targeting scams that have been hitting older adults especially hard. Here's what they look like and what to watch for.
Fake job offers that ask you to buy a gift card first
Someone reaches out about a job — sometimes by email, text, or even a message on a job-listing site. The offer sounds real, maybe even exciting. But shortly after you say yes, they ask you to buy gift cards "to get your equipment," "to activate your account," or "to receive your first assignment materials." Real employers never ask for this. Once the cards are bought and the codes are shared, the money is gone and so is the "employer." Silas now recognizes these requests and shows a warning before you go further.
Gold bar and cash pickup scams
This one is alarming because it often involves a real person showing up at your door. Scammers — sometimes posing as your bank, a government agency, or even law enforcement — tell you your money is at risk and that you need to withdraw cash or buy gold bars right away. They then send a "courier" to collect it from you directly, promising to keep it safe. No real bank, government office, or law enforcement agency will ever send someone to your home to pick up cash or gold. Silas now flags the language and pages associated with this tactic.
A note on urgency: Both of these scams rely on making you feel like you have to act immediately — before you can think it through or call a family member. That pressure is the warning sign. If anyone asks you to buy gift cards or hand cash to a stranger before you've had time to check with someone you trust, stop and make that call first.
As always, Silas works quietly in the background. When it spots one of these tactics on a page you're visiting, it shows a clear, calm warning and links to the FTC's Scam Guide for more information.
We'll keep posting updates here each time Silas learns something new, so you always know what's been added. If something still feels off even after Silas gives the all-clear, trust your instincts — no tool catches everything, and a quick call to a family member is always the right move.
Silas is free on the Chrome Web Store, and everything runs privately on your own device — nothing you browse is ever collected or sent anywhere.
June 19, 2026
Silas works quietly in the background while your parent browses — watching for the scams that target older adults, and adding context when the news gets murky. Here's the full picture of what it's looking out for today, in plain English.
On every page, Silas checks the web address and the words on the screen for the tactics scammers use most. When it spots one, it shows a clear warning and links to the FTC Scam Guide. Here are the families of scams it currently recognizes:
Tech-support & fake virus scares
"Your computer is infected," fake Windows Defender or virus pop-ups, pages that try to lock your browser, and phone numbers pretending to be Microsoft or Apple support.
Prize, lottery & reward traps
"You've won!" messages, fake sweepstakes, gift-card payment demands, and offers that ask for a fee or your details before you can "claim" anything.
Government & official impersonation
Fake IRS arrest threats, Social Security "suspension" notices, Medicare card phishing, bogus tax-debt demands, jury-duty warrant scares, and fake government grant or benefit approvals.
Delivery & parcel scams
"Your package is on hold — pay a small redelivery fee" texts, and QR codes that ask you to scan to pay or "verify" a delivery.
Family-emergency & grandparent scams
Urgent messages claiming a grandchild has been arrested or in an accident and needs money wired right now — including the newer "hospital bills" version.
Investment, crypto & get-rich-quick schemes
Guaranteed-return promises, suspiciously specific "X% in Y days" offers, crypto-mining and frozen-wallet "unlock fee" scams, deals routed through messaging apps, and pyramid-style referral commissions.
Banking & account scams
"Verify your account or it will be suspended," requests for your card number or Social Security number, "safe account" transfer tricks that impersonate your bank, and overpayment refund cons.
Urgency & pressure tactics
Utility-disconnection threats with countdown timers, and a big red flag Silas calls out directly: anyone telling you to hide a payment from your family or bank.
"We'll get your money back" follow-on scams
Fake fund-recovery services and people posing as government agents who promise to recover money you've already lost — for a fee.
Beyond the words on a page, Silas also blocks more than 2,000 known scam websites outright, keeps watch for 24 commonly impersonated brands showing up where they shouldn't, and flags suspicious web addresses — like a link that pretends to be your bank but isn't.
One honest limitation: Silas catches known tactics, not every possible scam — new ones appear constantly. Think of it as a first layer. If something feels wrong, stop and call a family member before sending money or sharing details.
The second half of Silas is gentler. When your parent reads a story on a news site Silas recognizes, a small banner shows that source's political lean and factual-accuracy rating — and links to how AP News, Reuters, and PBS are covering the same story. It never blocks anything and never tells anyone what to think.
Silas currently rates 20 news sources across the political spectrum. Those ratings are calibrated against established media-analysis organizations like Media Bias/Fact Check, AllSides, Ad Fontes, and NewsGuard, and major outlets with consistently strong factual records are never automatically flagged. You can read exactly how we make these decisions.
That's everything Silas guards against today. This list grows every week as new scams emerge — and from now on, we'll post each update right here in plain English, so you always know what your family is protected from.
Silas is free on the Chrome Web Store, and all of this runs privately on your own device — nothing you browse is ever collected or sent anywhere.