Getting started

How it works

Three steps. The whole thing takes about two minutes, and you only set things up once.

What you'll need

  • Any email account you already use — Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, AOL, or anything else.
  • A computer, tablet, or phone.
  • About two minutes for the one-time setup.

The three steps

If you're brand new to the service, this is everything you need to know.

  1. Create your account

    Click Get started at the top of any page on this site. You will be asked for your email address and to pick a password. Then you'll choose a plan. You can cancel any time.

    Once you sign in, we give you a personal forwarding address. It looks like a long email address, something like u_abc1234567@mail.tro-net.com. This is the address you will forward suspicious emails to.

    Saving your forwarding address as a contact takes about 30 seconds.

  2. Forward the email you're not sure about

    When an email lands in your inbox that looks suspicious — a bank alert, a delivery problem, a tax notice, a “you've won a prize” message — forward it to your personal address.

    Don't reply to the suspicious email, don't click any links in it, and don't open any attachments. Just forward it as-is.

    What forwarding and our reply look like, end to end.

  3. Read our reply

    Within a few minutes, you'll receive a reply at your normal email address. The reply will tell you:

    • Whether the email you forwarded looks safe, suspicious, or a likely scam.
    • Why we think so, in plain English.
    • If it's a scam, the real phone number or website for the company the scammer was pretending to be — so you can contact the real company if you want to.

    You don't need to do anything to “open” the reply — it shows up in your inbox like any other email.

How to forward an email

If you've never forwarded an email before — or you don't use that feature often — here is exactly where to find it in the most common email programs.

Gmail (in a web browser)

  1. Open the suspicious email so you can read it.
  2. Look near the top right of the email for an arrow icon (it looks like a curved arrow pointing right). Click it.
  3. A box will open showing your forwarding address as the destination. Paste your personal forwarding address into the "To" field.
  4. Click Send.

Gmail (on a phone or tablet app)

  1. Open the suspicious email.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner.
  3. Tap Forward.
  4. Type your personal forwarding address into the "To" field.
  5. Tap the paper-airplane Send button.

Outlook (Microsoft 365, in a web browser)

  1. Open the suspicious email.
  2. Click Forward at the top of the email (it may be hidden behind a small arrow).
  3. Paste your personal forwarding address into the "To" field.
  4. Click Send.

Apple Mail (on iPhone or iPad)

  1. Open the suspicious email.
  2. Tap the arrow icon at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Tap Forward.
  4. Type your personal forwarding address into the "To" field.
  5. Tap Send.

Yahoo Mail (in a web browser)

  1. Open the suspicious email.
  2. Click Forward near the top of the message.
  3. Paste your personal forwarding address into the "To" field.
  4. Click Send.

What our reply will look like

So you know what to expect.

Each reply contains three things, in this order:

  1. A short verdict. One sentence telling you whether we think the email is safe, suspicious, or a likely scam.
  2. The reasons. A few bullet points explaining what made us think so — for example, the sender's address doesn't match the company it claims to be from, or the email is pressuring you to act quickly.
  3. What to do next. If the email is risky, we'll tell you not to click any links, and we'll include the real phone number or website for the company the scammer was pretending to be. You can then contact the real company directly if you want to verify anything.
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How it works · tro-net