Account & access
Is the GACS account really free?
Yes. Creating a GACS account costs nothing, and there is no paywall on core safety features. Signing up free unlocks higher daily scan limits, your scan history, a watchlist and scam alerts.
Everything a person needs to check a scam, browse the registry, report a scam and get alerts is covered by the free account. You will never hit a surprise paywall after signing up, and no card is required.
Optional paid tiers exist for people who want more: continuous monitoring of their name and handles, impersonator detection, family protection, and priority takedown packs. Those are clearly priced upgrades — they never gate the basic ability to check whether something is a scam.
GACS never charges victims for help recovering money, and no one can pay to remove or hide a legitimate scam report from the registry.
In practice
- Free forever: sign up with email or Google, no card required.
- Free account includes higher scan limits, history, watchlist and alerts.
- Paid tiers add continuous monitoring and family protection — optional, never required.
- GACS never sells recovery services and never charges victims.
Related questions
Do I need an account to check if something is a scam?
No — visitors get 3 free scans per 24 hours and the public scam database is fully readable without login.
Can I report a scam without an account?
Yes. The report form at /report-scam accepts anonymous submissions. Signing in only helps if you want the report tied to your account so you can track it.
How do I activate my free Shield account?
Open /signup, choose email and password or Google sign-in, and you are in. Activation takes under a minute and immediately raises your daily scan limits and unlocks the dashboard.
See the full list on the Access FAQ page.