Support for Granny Kate, the Online Scam Slayer

Last year, I supported XORD LLC and to my pleasant surprise, the project is still alive, developing on a shoestring budget, but churning out stuff. Much of the stuff has to do with privacy which, surprise, surprise, is a major issue with cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. So, working around the issue, the boys put together a XORD privacy suite and named it Naked Online. It enables users to see exactly what websites can extract from their devices — in real-time, from inside their own browsers. “Naked Online” is completely free for unrestricted personal, academic, and commercial use.

The work on privacy issues and how it can be abused uncovered the most egregious issue with it: the epidemic of scams targeting the elderly - a massive problem in need of an urgent solution. That’s how “Granny Kate” was born.

Granny Kate is a software solution for Windows. It works, but some threats can’t be stopped at the software level — they need a hardware root of trust. That’s the Claymore. The Windows program is 100% done. Solution for macOS is in development, but producing the hardware solution will require and additional $20K investment. If this seems like a worthy cause and you feel like you can chip in, please visit the Granny Kate indiegogo campaign at the following link:

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/granny_kate/granny-kate-claymore-the-online-scam-slayer

Here’s from Cesare de Monte Calvi (project leader, not his real name):

Specifically, during our work on ‘Naked Online’— We stopped and asked ourselves: wait a minute, who are the primary victims here? We dove into the research, and the sheer volume of data showing how seniors are being systematically robbed is horrifying. That was the exact moment the idea for Granny Kate was born.

“Granny Kate” detects live scams like poisoned links, dangerous downloads, clipboard tricks and more, allowing the user to kill the threat before the criminals gain control. However, in addition to the software application, there is also a hardware component required for enhanced protection, as some threats can’t be stopped at the software level.

The hardware solution breaks the budget, necessitating additional funding.

From the Indiegogo fundraising campaign:

Someone is Watching Your Mother’s or Your Granny’s Screen Right Now

Your granny or a mother answers a call. A calm voice of well trained fraudsters says her bank account is compromised, or an email states the same. She clicks the link they sent.

Then her screen goes black. If she calls you she might even hide the fact she was a scam victim entirely. Scammers exploit psychological triggers (Authority, Urgency, Loneliness) that bypass logic, weaponize that shame, and keep the victim isolated. By the time you drive to her house, you will find the woman who raised you, who spent sixty years building a life, sitting in the dark wondering what she did wrong. Nothing!!

Against the good granny stands a vicious, sophisticated criminal cabal using scientific resources to trick her, or any of us, when we’re tired or unfocused, and force her, ultimately, into losing everything. Granny_Kate: The Online Scam Slayer fights it.

“Granny Kate” and “Naked Online” are both products of the project I seeded last June (feels like forever ago), when I posted an unusual article, titled “Steppin’ out into the blockchain.” The project’s main objective was (still is) a secure blockchain technology and I made the investment in spite of the fact that I’m (still) agnostic about cryptocurrencies.

I did it for two key reasons: (1) I’m not agnostic about inflation, which is coming and which will soak most people and evaporate their savings, and (2) I had, and still have 100% confidence in the integrity of the person who is leading the project, the shy Mr. Cesare de Monte Calvi. At the time, a number of readers of this newsletter generously offered their support, which has enabled the project to carry on much farther than my funds could have carried it - Thank you!

Alex Krainer – @NakedHedgie is the creator of I-System Trend Following and publisher of daily TrendCompass investor reports which cover over 200 financial and commodities markets. One-month test drive is always free of charge, no jumping through hoops to cancel. To start your trial subscription, drop us an email at TrendCompass@ISystem-TF.com, or:

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