Privacy policy

PonchoGuard exists to protect your family from scams, so we keep as little about you as we can, delete it quickly, and never sell it. This page says exactly what we collect and why.

Effective October 2, 2026. PonchoGuard is a service of G3NO Systems LLC ("we", "us").

What we collect

• Contact details. Your email address when you join the waitlist or sign in, and the phone number you text us from or add to your family circle.
• Messages you send us to check. The text of a suspicious text message, email or quote that you forward or paste for a verdict. We keep the message text for 30 days so your family can see what was checked, then it is deleted automatically. The verdict (Scam, Suspicious or Looks OK) and a short summary stay.
• Family circle details. The names, phone numbers and roles (parent or helper) of the people you add, and which alerts were sent to whom.
• Cosign requests. The amount, who is being paid and the decision (approved or stopped), so the family can see what happened.
• PC Guard events. If you install PonchoGuard on a Windows computer, it reports when a remote-access tool starts, and sends a short "still running" signal a few times an hour. It does not read your files, keystrokes or screen.
• Photos of quotes. Only if you choose "Read this photo". The photo is used to read the quote and is not kept after the reading.
• Payment details. Payments are handled by Stripe. We see your name, email and what you bought, never your card number.

What we do with it

• Check messages and quotes and send you the verdict.
• Tell your family helpers when something is high risk, if you have allowed that (see Dignity Mode below).
• Run Cosign requests between you and your family.
• Send a short weekly summary to the family, if the account holder has turned it on.
• Keep the service working and stop abuse.

Some checks use an artificial-intelligence service (Anthropic) to read the message and write the plain-English reason. The message is sent for that purpose only and is not used to train their models.

Dignity Mode: the parent decides what the family sees

By default, family helpers hear only about high-risk events, and they never see the text of a message, only a short summary. The protected parent can change this at any time, and only the parent can.

Text messaging (SMS) terms

• You opt in by texting the PonchoGuard number first, or by adding your phone number in the app. Family helpers are added by the account holder. Each helper enters their own phone number in the app and confirms it with a 6-digit code we text to them before they receive any alerts. You can see exactly what people see at the text message consent page.
• Message frequency varies. You receive one reply for each message you check, plus family alerts and Cosign requests when they happen.
• Message and data rates may apply.
• Reply STOP to any message to stop receiving texts. Reply HELP for help, or email support@ponchoguard.com.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text-messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties, except the messaging provider that delivers the texts.

Who can see your information

• Your family circle. Members of your circle see the checks, alerts and Cosign requests for that circle, within the limits of Dignity Mode. Nothing happens behind anyone's back: everyone can see which alerts were sent and to whom.
• Service providers. Companies that run our servers (Supabase), deliver texts (Twilio), deliver email (Postmark), read messages (Anthropic) and take payments (Stripe). They may use your information only to provide their service to us.
• Nobody else. We do not sell, rent or share your information with advertisers or data brokers, ever.
• We may disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect someone from harm.

How long we keep it

• Message text: 30 days, then deleted automatically.
• Verdicts, summaries, alerts and Cosign decisions: while your account is open, so the family has a record.
• Quote photos: not kept after reading.
• Account and billing records: while your account is open, and as long as tax and accounting rules require.

Security

Information is encrypted in transit and at rest. Each family's records are separated in the database so one family can never see another's. Access by our team is limited to what is needed to run the service and help you.

Your choices

• Ask us to show you, correct or delete your information at any time by emailing support@ponchoguard.com.
• Leave a family circle, or remove a member, from the family dashboard.
• Reply STOP to end text messages.
• Close your account and we delete it, except records we must keep by law.

Children

PonchoGuard is for adults protecting adults. It is not directed at anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will post the new version here with a new effective date and, for important changes, email the account holder first.

Contact

G3NO Systems LLC
Email: support@ponchoguard.com