Terms of service

Backgrounder is an AI and research company working to help You stay safe from scams and fraud. We leverage AI-powered tools to analyze content such as messages, emails, phone numbers, images, or other data that is submitted or otherwise transmitted by You as part of our Services. Backgrounder and its Services are for personal, non-commercial use. Our Services are intended for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or law enforcement advice.

Account. Your registered user account for the Service.

Auto-Renewal. A paid Subscription continues until You cancel and renews for successive billing periods unless canceled before the end of the then-current billing period.

Billing Period. The recurring period for which You are charged (e.g., monthly).

Carmen. Backgrounder’s AI-powered analysis functionality.

Clear and Conspicuous. Information presented in a manner that is readily noticeable, readable, and understandable, including prior to purchase where required.

Consent to Auto-Renewal. Your express, informed agreement to a Subscription that renews automatically unless canceled.

Content. Messages, emails, phone numbers, images, or other data that is submitted or otherwise transmitted by You as part of our Services.

Materials. Results generated based on Content You provide in Our Services.

Quick Check. The automated, AI-generated assessment performed by Carmen on user-submitted materials to evaluate potential scam or fraud indicators and provide brief rationale and suggested next steps. Quick Checks are generated without human review by default, are informational only, do not include results from expanded open source intelligence reports, and are subject to plan-specific usage limits.

Services. AI-generated assessments provided through Backgrounder’s scam analysis platform.

Subscription. A paid, automatically renewing (unless canceled) plan that provides access to certain Service features for a recurring fee.

User Content. Information You submit to the Service, including scam reports, messages, screenshots, attachments, identifiers, and other materials.

You or User. Individual accessing or using the Service.

Minimum Age. You must be at least 18 years old or the minimum age required in Your location to consent to use the Services, whichever is higher. If You are under 18 You must have Your parent or legal guardian’s permission to use the Services.

Your Account. To access our Services, we may ask You to create an Account. You must provide accurate and complete information to register for an account to use our Services. You may not share Your Account login information or credentials with anyone else. You are responsible for all activity occurring under Your Account. If You create an account or use the Services on behalf of another person or entity, You must have the authority to accept these Terms on their behalf.

Notifications. Our communications to You using Your Account information will satisfy any requirements for legal notices.

You may access and use our Services only in compliance with our Terms and any guidelines or supplemental terms we may post on the Services. We grant You a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Services in accordance with these terms. You agree to use the Services only for purposes that are legal, proper, and in accordance with these Terms and any applicable laws or regulations.

You shall not, and shall not encourage any third party to:

• Modify, adapt, alter, translate, or create derivative works of the Services
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive the source code for the Services, in whole or in part, except to the extent that such activities are permitted under applicable law
• Distribute, license, sublicense, lease, rent, loan, or otherwise transfer the Services to any third party
• Remove, alter, or obscure in any way the proprietary rights notices (including copyright, patent, and trademark notices and symbols) of Backgrounder contained on or within any copies of the Services
• Use the Services for the purpose of creating a product or service competitive with the Services
• Remove, minimize, block or modify any notices of Backgrounder in the Services
• Use the Services other than as described in the Terms or for any unlawful purpose
• Represent that artificial intelligence output was human generated when it was not

Third Party Services. Our Services may include third party software, products, or Services, (“Third Party Services”) and some parts of our Services, which may include output from those Services (“Third Party Output”). Third Party Services and Third Party Output are subject to their own terms, and we are not responsible for them.

Your Content. You are responsible for all Content that you submit to our Services and you represent and warrant that you have all rights, licenses, and permissions that are necessary for us to process the Content under our Terms and to provide the Services to you, including for example, to integrate with third-party services, to share materials with others at your direction, and to take any actions on your behalf, such as data processing and system interactions. You also represent and warrant that your submitting Content to us or directing our Services to take actions will not violate our Terms or any laws or regulations applicable to the Content. We are not responsible for the accuracy, legality, or reliability of the Content You upload.

Similarity of Content. Because of the nature of artificial intelligence and our Services, Outputs may not be unique, and similar results may be provided to other users. Our assignment applies only to Your specific output and does not extend to outputs generated for other users or to any Third-Party Output.

Ownership of Content. As between You and Backgrounder, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, you retain any right, title, and interest that you have in the Content you submit.

Our Use of Content. We may use materials created from your Content and generated responses in connection with the Services (collectively, “Materials”) to provide, maintain, and improve the Services and to develop other products and services, including training our models. Even if you opt out, we will use Materials for model training when: (1) you provide Feedback to us regarding any Materials, or (2) your Materials are flagged for safety review to improve our ability to detect harmful content, enforce our policies, or advance our safety research.

Reconstruction of Scam Patterns. Backgrounder may analyze and extract scam-related indicators from user submissions (such as domains, wallet addresses, communication patterns, and behavioral signals) to identify recurring fraud typologies and improve detection capabilities. This reconstruction focuses on scam infrastructure and patterns (not on profiling users) and may be used to enhance the Services and protect the broader community.

Artificial intelligence and scam detection technologies are evolving and not always predictable. Backgrounder’s Services, including Quick Checks generated by Carmen, analyze patterns and risk indicators, but Materials may be incomplete, inaccurate, or reflect limited available data. We continuously work to improve accuracy and safety. However, we do not guarantee that any Material will be error-free or definitive.

By using the Services, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Materials, including Quick Checks and analyst reports, are risk assessments intended to support your decision-making and should not be relied upon as a sole source of truth or as a substitute for legal, financial, or law-enforcement advice
• You are responsible for evaluating the accuracy and appropriateness of Materials for your situation, including seeking human review or professional guidance where warranted
• You may not use Materials about any person to make decisions that could have legal or material consequences for that individual, including decisions relating to employment, credit, housing, insurance, education, medical care, or other regulated determinations
• Backgrounder is not a consumer reporting agency
• Confidence levels reflect assessed scam risk based on available indicators, not determinations of guilt or criminal findings
• References to third-party products or services do not imply endorsement or affiliation
• Communications sent via SMS or email may be intercepted or accessed by unintended parties, and You accept those inherent transmission risks when using those channels

Disclosures. The following Subscription terms are Clear and Conspicuous and are provided before you complete your purchase. Information may include: subscription price and features, billing frequency, auto renewal cadence, cancellation process.

Affirmative Consent to Auto-Renewal (Separate from General Terms). You will not be enrolled in Auto-Renewal unless you provide Consent to Auto-Renewal. Where legally required or where we choose to do so, we will request your Consent to Auto-Renewal separately from acceptance of these Terms, including by using an unchecked checkbox (or similar mechanism) that states substantially:

“I understand that my selected monthly or annual Subscription will automatically renew unless canceled, and I authorize recurring charges.”

Order Confirmation. After you subscribe, we will provide an order confirmation (e.g., by email or in-app) that includes, to the extent applicable, the plan name and price, the Auto-Renewal terms, how to cancel, and a link to these Terms.

Billing Authorization. When you start a Subscription, you authorize Backgrounder (and our payment processor) to charge the recurring fees and any applicable taxes to your selected payment method until you cancel.

Renewals. We will provide renewal reminders or notices when required by applicable law or when we otherwise determine it is appropriate based on the Subscription’s duration or changes to material terms. Notices may be delivered by email or other reasonable means. To avoid being charged for a renewal, you must cancel before the end of your then-current Billing Period. Your access to paid features continues through the end of that Billing Period unless otherwise stated at the time of purchase.

Accessible Cancellation. We provide cancellation methods that are at least as easy to use as the method you used to subscribe, consistent with applicable law.

• In-Account Cancellation. If you subscribed through our website, you may cancel by navigating to Account Settings → Subscription → Cancel (or a substantially similar path).
• Email Cancellation (Back-Up Method). If you cannot cancel through your Account settings, you may cancel by emailing support@backgrounder.com with the subject line “Cancel Subscription.” We will process email cancellation requests within a commercially reasonable time.

Price Changes. If we change Subscription pricing, we will provide advance notice as required by applicable law.

Refunds. Except where required by law, fees are non-refundable once charged. If you believe you were charged in error, contact us at support@backgrounder.com.

Failed Payments and Suspension. If a payment fails or is reversed, we may suspend or terminate your Subscription and access to paid features until payment is successfully processed.

Free Trials and Promotions. If we offer a free trial or promotion, the material terms will be disclosed at sign-up, including, as applicable: trial length, when billing begins, the recurring price after the trial, and how to cancel before being charged. Unless disclosed otherwise, trials may convert to a paid Subscription at the end of the trial period and may be subject to Auto-Renewal.

Backgrounder owns the Service, including software, designs, logos, and Content, excluding User Content. Subject to Your compliance with these Terms, Backgrounder grants You a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use. You grant Backgrounder a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, modify (for formatting and processing), and otherwise use User Content to provide, maintain, and improve the Service and to perform the scam-pattern reconstruction described above.

We appreciate feedback, including ideas and suggestions for improvement or rating features or functionality, bug reports, or any questions and comments. If you provide Feedback, we may store the related conversation. You have no obligation to give us Feedback, but if you do, you agree that we may use the Feedback however we choose without any obligation or other payment to you.

Our Services may use third-party content (“Third-Party Content”), services, or integrations. We do not control or accept responsibility for their performance or for any issues that arise from their services.

We aim to keep the Services available, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Services, including access to our website, may be suspended, disrupted, or interrupted at any time for maintenance, technical issues, or other reasons outside of our control.

YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, MATERIALS, AND BACKGROUNDER IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE SERVICES, MATERIALS, AND BACKGROUNDER ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS AND, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. WE AND OUR PROVIDERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, ACCURACY, AVAILABILITY, RELIABILITY, SECURITY, PRIVACY, COMPATIBILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTY IMPLIED BY COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, OR TRADE USAGE.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT BACKGROUNDER, ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES (“BACKGROUNDER PARTIES”) SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, LOSS OF USE, LOST DATA, FAILURE OF SECURITY MECHANISMS, OR INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS) ARISING FROM THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER UNDER THEORY OF CONTRACT, TORT, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES IN ADVANCE. THE TOTAL LIABILITY OF BACKGROUNDER ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU FOR THE RELEVANT SERVICES IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTH PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE LIABILITY OR $100.

YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS THE BACKGROUNDER PARTIES FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITIES, CLAIMS, DAMAGES, EXPENSES (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS), AND OTHER LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR BREACH OR ALLEGED BREACH OF THESE TERMS; YOUR ACCESS TO, USE OF, OR ALLEGED USE OF THE SERVICES, THE MATERIALS, OR BACKGROUNDER; YOUR FEEDBACK; YOUR VIOLATION OF APPLICABLE LAW OR ANY THIRD-PARTY RIGHT; AND ANY ACTUAL OR ALLEGED FRAUD, INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, OR CRIMINAL ACTS COMMITTED BY YOU OR YOUR EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ENGAGE SEPARATE COUNSEL AND PARTICIPATE IN OR ASSUME THE EXCLUSIVE DEFENSE AND CONTROL OF ANY MATTER OTHERWISE SUBJECT TO INDEMNIFICATION BY YOU HEREUNDER, IN WHICH CASE YOU AGREE TO COOPERATE WITH US AND SUCH SEPARATE COUNSEL AS WE REASONABLY REQUEST.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you and Backgrounder agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, your use of the Services, or the relationship between you and Backgrounder (whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory) will be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration, rather than in court, except as otherwise provided below.

Informal dispute resolution. We would like to understand and try to address your concerns prior to formal legal action. Before initiating arbitration or any legal proceeding, you and Backgrounder agree to attempt to resolve any dispute informally by providing written notice of the dispute and engaging in good faith negotiations for at least 60 days. You may contact us by email to support@backgrounder.com or via mail 901 N. Glebe Road, 5th Floor, Arlington, VA 22203. We will contact You by sending you notice to the email address associated with your account. If we are unable to resolve a Dispute within 60 days, either of us has the right to initiate arbitration. We also both agree to attend an individual settlement conference if either party requests one during this time. Any statute of limitations will be tolled during this informal resolution process.

Arbitration Procedures. The arbitration will be administered by a recognized arbitration provider and conducted in accordance with its applicable rules. The arbitration will take place in Arlington, Virginia, unless otherwise required by law. The arbitrator will have the authority to grant any relief that would be available in a court under law or in equity. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court if the claim qualifies. Nothing in this section shall prevent either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights.

Delegation Clause. The arbitrator shall have the exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this arbitration agreement, including any claim that all or any part of this agreement is void or voidable.

Class Action Waiver. You and Backgrounder agree that any dispute resolution proceedings, whether in arbitration or in court, will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. You expressly waive any right to participate in or bring a class action, class arbitration, or any other representative proceeding against Backgrounder. Unless both you and Backgrounder agree otherwise in writing, the arbitrator or court may not consolidate more than one person’s claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a class or representative proceeding. If a court or arbitrator determines that the class action waiver in this section is unenforceable as to all or some claims, then (unless you and Backgrounder agree otherwise) those claims must be severed and resolved in court, and any remaining claims subject to arbitration will proceed individually.

Changes to the Services. Our Services are novel and will change. We may sometimes add or remove features, increase or decrease capacity limits, offer new Services, or stop offering certain Services.

Backgrounder will provide notice related to material changes to the Service or these Terms that applies to you. A “material” change includes, by way of example, changes that: (i) increase fees or add new fees; (ii) materially reduce functionality or features you are paying for; (iii) materially change Auto-Renewal, cancellation, dispute resolution, or liability terms; or (iv) otherwise materially affect your rights or obligations.

Although we will strive to provide you with reasonable advance notice if we stop offering a Service, there may be urgent situations, such as preventing abuse, responding to legal requirements, or addressing security and operability issues, where providing advance notice is not feasible. We will not be liable for any change to or any suspension or discontinuation of the Services or your access to them.

Method of Notice. Unless a different method is required by law, we will provide notice of material changes by one or more of the following methods: sending an email to the address associated with your Account and/or providing another reasonable, Clear and Conspicuous notice designed to reach you. The notice will describe the change, state the effective date, and explain how you may cancel (including any deadlines to avoid future charges).

Timing of Notice. Unless a longer period is required by law, we will provide notice of material changes at least thirty (30) days before the change takes effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may make changes sooner if: (i) required to comply with law or a court order; (ii) necessary to address security, fraud, or technical issues; or (iii) the change is non-material. If we must implement a material change sooner for one of these reasons, we will provide notice as soon as reasonably practicable.

Your Right to Reject Changes; Termination. If you do not agree to a material change, you may reject it by canceling your Subscription and/or stopping use of the Service before the effective date of the change. Subject to applicable law, your cancellation will take effect at the end of your then-current Billing Period. You are responsible for canceling to avoid future charges. If applicable law provides you additional rights (including a right to terminate without penalty upon certain changes), we will honor those rights.

Acceptance. If you continue to use the Service after the effective date of a material change (and after the notice described above), you agree to the change, except to the extent applicable law requires a different form of acceptance.

Entire agreement. These Terms and any other terms expressly incorporated by reference form the entire agreement between you and us regarding the subject matter of our Terms.

Termination. You may stop accessing the Services at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services (including any Subscriptions) at any time without notice to you if we believe that you have breached these Terms, or if we must do so in order to comply with law. If we terminate your access to the Services due to a violation of these Terms and you have a Subscription, you will not be entitled to any refund. In addition, if you have a Subscription, we may terminate the Subscription at any time for any other reason. If we exercise this right and you purchased the subscription via our website, we will refund you, on a pro rata basis, the fees you paid for the remaining portion of your Subscription after termination. If you believe we have suspended or terminated your account in error, you can file an appeal with us by contacting support@backgrounder.com.

Severability. If a particular provision or portion of these Terms is not valid or enforceable, this will have no effect on any other provision or portion of these Terms.

No Waiver. Any delay or failure on our part to enforce a provision of these Terms is not a waiver of our right to enforce them later.

No Assignment. These Terms may not be transferred or assigned by you without our prior written consent, but may be assigned by us without restriction.

Legal Compliance. We may comply with governmental, court, and law enforcement requests or requirements relating to provision or use of the Services or information provided to or collected under our Terms. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to report information from or about you, including but not limited to Content, to law enforcement.

Equitable Relief. You agree that (a) no adequate remedy exists at law if you breach Section 3 (License and Use of Our Services); (b) it would be difficult to determine the damages resulting from such breach, and any such breach would cause irreparable harm; and (c) a grant of injunctive relief provides the best remedy for any such breach. You waive any opposition to such injunctive relief, as well as any demand that we prove actual damage or post a bond or other security in connection with such injunctive relief.

Governing Law and Exclusive Jurisdiction. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict of law principles, except to the extent that federal law applies. Nothing in these Terms shall be construed to waive any right you may have to pursue federal statutory remedies in the appropriate forum.

To the extent any dispute must be brought in court, you agree that it will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Virginia, and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue in those courts.

For questions about these Terms or the Service, please contact Backgrounder via email at support@backgrounder.com or in writing to Backgrounder Inc., 901 N. Glebe Road, 5th Floor, Arlington, VA 22203.