SpamShield™ — Included on every account

Scammers can't get in
because there's no way in.

Every link on your parent's placemat is checked before it opens. PlaceMatHQ cannot receive incoming calls. And Mat is trained to recognise the scams that target older adults — and to alert you when something sounds wrong.

Protect them today → See all features

Included free on every account · On by default · No setup needed

$7.7B+
USD in reported FBI internet-crime losses
among adults 60+ · United States 2025
1 in 3
Older adults targeted by scammers
at least once a week
89%
Of elder fraud starts with
an unsolicited contact
A trusted home screen

Curated, calm,
and Mat is always there.

PlaceMatHQ gives your parent a curated home screen — verified news, family updates, weather, and favourite sites all in one calm place. They can still browse the wider web as they normally would, but Mat is always right there to help if something doesn't feel right.

If a link looks off, a message feels strange, or someone called them on their regular phone and it made them uneasy — one tap gets Mat's opinion. Mat can alert your family immediately if something sounds wrong. No unknown callers. No inbound calls. Protection by design, not just detection.

Inside the placemat
What your parent can access
Curated, verified sites on the home screen
Outbound video calls to approved contacts only
Mat — always available to check anything suspicious
Family alerts when something sounds wrong
Cannot reach this placemat
✕
Inbound calls from any number
✕
Direct contact from unknown senders
✕
Anyone not on the approved contact list
How SpamShield works

Protection that doesn't rely
on your parent spotting the threat.

No inbound calls. Ever.
There's no number to call
PlaceMatHQ has no reachable address. Your parent's placemat cannot receive an incoming call from anyone — not from a scammer, not from an unknown number, not from anyone outside their contact list. Video calls only go outbound, to people you've approved.

Family who want to talk use "Ask to talk" — a card appears on the placemat saying "David would like to chat. Call him?" It never rings. It just waits.
Three verdicts for every link
Mat checks any link before it opens
Your parent can browse as they normally would. But whenever they tap a link, Mat assesses it before anything loads and gives one of three verdicts:

Clear — opens directly, often in a clean reading view with ads and clutter stripped.

Caution — shows a plain-language card: "I don't know this site. Do you want to ask someone first?"

Scam — a stop card. Not a warning that can be dismissed. The only way forward is asking someone.
Mat listens for the signs
Mat alerts you when something sounds wrong
Mat is trained to recognise the patterns scammers use — urgency, secrecy, requests for money — and listens for them in every conversation. If your parent mentions a call they had on their regular phone, a letter that arrived, or something that made them uneasy, Mat recognises the shape and alerts you immediately.

Your parent is told Mat has let you know. Nothing is hidden from them.
A different approach

Most protection tells you when
something bad arrived. We prevent it arriving.

The old approach
Filter, detect, warn
  • ✕Scam arrives, filter tries to catch it
  • ✕Your parent sees a warning and must decide
  • ✕One bad click is all it takes
  • ✕Relies on vigilance — which fades with age
  • ✕Filters miss new scam patterns
SpamShield
Remove the attack surface
  • ✓Scammers have no way to reach the placemat
  • ✓Your parent never sees the threat
  • ✓No decision required from them
  • ✓Works independently of vigilance or memory
  • ✓Nothing to bypass — the entry point doesn't exist
Family dashboard

You decide
who gets in.

From the family dashboard on your phone, you manage the approved contact list, review what links are accessible, and see any alerts Mat has flagged — all without touching your parent's screen.

Approved contact list
Add or remove people who can video call your parent. Anyone not on the list simply cannot reach them through the placemat.
Verified link management
Review and approve the links your parent can access. Nothing appears on their placemat that you haven't cleared.
Mat scam alerts
If Mat hears something that sounds like a scam attempt — from any source — you get notified straight away.

Questions about SpamShield

What is SpamShield?
SpamShield is built into every PlaceMatHQ account. It has three layers: every link is checked before it opens (Clear, Caution, or Scam), the placemat cannot receive incoming calls from anyone, and Mat is trained to recognise scam patterns in conversation and alert the family. The protection is architectural — it doesn't rely on your parent spotting the threat.
Can scammers contact my parent through PlaceMatHQ?
No. PlaceMatHQ has no reachable address — it cannot receive incoming calls from anyone. Your parent's placemat only makes outbound video calls, and only to people you've added to their contact list. Family who want to reach your parent send an "Ask to talk" request — a card appears on the placemat saying they'd like to chat, and your parent can choose to call back. It never rings.
What are verified links?
Every link your parent can tap is assessed before anything loads. The result is one of three states: Clear (opens directly, often in a stripped reading view), Caution (Mat explains it doesn't recognise this site, and offers to get someone), or Scam (a stop card that cannot be dismissed — the only way forward is asking someone). There are no unverified links to accidentally click.
How does SpamShield differ from antivirus software or spam filters?
Traditional spam filters try to identify bad content after it has already arrived. SpamShield takes a different approach: the platform does not connect to the outside world in the ways scammers exploit. There is no general inbox for phishing emails, no open browser for malicious sites, and no unknown callers. The threat is removed architecturally, not by detection.
What if my parent gets a scam call on their regular phone?
If your parent mentions a suspicious call or message to Mat — even one that arrived on their regular phone or in the post — Mat is trained to recognise those patterns and will alert the family straight away. SpamShield can't protect your parent's other devices, but it gives you an early warning system for anything they encounter.
Does SpamShield cost extra?
No. SpamShield is included in every PlaceMatHQ account at no extra charge. It is on by default and requires no setup from you or your parent.

A platform where scammers
have no way in.

SpamShield is built into every PlaceMatHQ account — free, on by default, and nothing to configure.

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