Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the ProtectMyCircle website and scam detection service ("Service") operated by Garland A. Hurt ("we", "us", or "our") at protectmycircle.com.

By accessing or using our Service, you confirm that you are at least 18 years of age, have read and understood these Terms, and agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of service

ProtectMyCircle provides an AI-powered tool that analyzes text messages and emails submitted by users and returns an assessment of whether the message may be a scam or phishing attempt. We also provide scam awareness training content and educational resources.

The Service is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional cybersecurity advice, legal advice, law enforcement assistance, or financial guidance.

3. AI analysis disclaimer — please read carefully

Specifically, you acknowledge and agree that:

• AI-generated analysis can make mistakes and does not guarantee accuracy
• Our Service does not catch every scam or phishing attempt
• A "safe" verdict does not mean a message is definitively safe
• You remain solely responsible for any actions you take based on our analysis
• When in doubt, you should contact the alleged sender directly using a verified phone number or website, or consult law enforcement
• We are not liable for any financial loss, identity theft, or other harm resulting from your use of or reliance on our Service

4. Accounts and registration

Some features of the Service (such as the Family plan) require you to create an account. When registering, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and current information
• Maintain the security of your password and account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Accept responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account

You may not create an account on behalf of someone else without their explicit consent. You may not share your account credentials with others outside your authorized Family plan members.

5. Subscriptions and billing

Free plan

The free plan allows up to 5 message checks per day with no account required. No payment information is collected for the free plan.

Family plan — $7/month

The Family plan is a monthly subscription billed at $7.00 USD per month. By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring monthly basis until you cancel.

• Billing: You will be charged on the same date each month as your initial subscription date
• Cancellation: You may cancel at any time from your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you will not be charged again after cancellation
• Refunds: We offer a 7-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers. After 7 days, subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law
• Price changes: We will give you at least 30 days' notice before changing subscription prices. Continued use after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new price

6. Acceptable use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

• Submit content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, or defamatory
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, hack, or disrupt the Service
• Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to submit messages in bulk
• Attempt to circumvent any rate limits or usage restrictions
• Use the Service to generate fraudulent or misleading scam assessments
• Resell or sublicense access to the Service without our written permission
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to any user who violates these terms, without notice or refund.

7. Intellectual property

The ProtectMyCircle name, logo, website design, training content, and all other materials on the Service are owned by or licensed to Garland A. Hurt and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works of any part of the Service without our prior written permission. Personal, non-commercial use of training content for educational purposes is permitted.

Messages you submit for analysis remain your property. By submitting a message, you grant us a limited license to process it solely for the purpose of providing the analysis service.

8. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:

• The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied
• We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or completely secure
• We expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability, so some of the above may not apply to you.

9. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ProtectMyCircle and Garland A. Hurt from and against any claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for any reason including violation of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time. Account deletion requests can be submitted by contacting us at the address below.

Sections 3, 7, 8, 9, and 11 of these Terms survive termination.

11. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Texas.

Before filing any legal claim, you agree to contact us first and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will make reasonable efforts to resolve disputes amicably.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email (if you have an account) and by posting a notice on our website at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The date at the top of this page reflects when the Terms were last updated.

Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Contact us

If you have questions about these Terms or need to report a concern, please contact us: