About Spare Room Dev
Spare Room Dev is a cybersecurity student and builder. Smells Phishy started as a personal project to help family and friends check suspicious emails, and grew into a free tool for anyone who wants a second opinion before clicking.
Origin Story
It started with a screenshot from my mum: "Hey, can you check this? Looks weird." The email claimed her Facebook account would be deleted in 24 hours. Classic phishing. But to her, it was genuinely scary. I realized the same questions came up over and over: Is this email legit? Should I click this link? So I built something that could do what I do - analyze suspicious emails and explain the red flags in plain English.
Mission
Smells Phishy helps people decide before they click. The tool analyzes emails for phishing signals and explains what looks suspicious (or safe) in everyday language, so you can make informed choices about the messages you receive.
Methodology
- ✓Check signals. URLs are checked against threat databases, and the text is analyzed for urgency tactics, authority mismatches, and manipulation patterns.
- ✓Explain in plain English. An AI model breaks down what it finds, not just a "safe" or "dangerous" label. You see the reasoning, not just the verdict.
- ✓Never store email content. Your email text is analyzed and immediately discarded. No accounts, no tracking, no data mining.