This Student Built an AI That Detects Phishing Scams in Seconds | Sushanth Punuru

What if an AI could tell you whether a message is a scam — before you click?

Meet Sushanth Punuru, a student innovator at BetterMind Labs, who built Verifeye — an AI-powered web app designed to detect phishing and social engineering threats in everyday messages.

The Problem

Phishing scams are getting smarter.
Fake emails, WhatsApp messages, and links now look almost real — and one wrong click can lead to hacked accounts, financial loss, or identity theft.

Most people don’t know:

what signs to look for

how risky a message actually is

what to do next

The Solution

Verifeye makes cybersecurity simple.

Users:

paste suspicious messages or URLs

answer a short guided survey

The app then uses Google Gemini AI to:
✅ analyze social engineering patterns
✅ identify phishing risk indicators
✅ assign a clear risk level
✅ recommend safe next steps

No technical knowledge needed.

It’s like having a personal cybersecurity assistant — available 24/7.

The Tech Behind Verifeye

Google Gemini API → AI analysis & reasoning

Python → backend logic

Web-based interface → fast, accessible UX

The focus wasn’t just accuracy, but clarity — helping users understand why something is dangerous.

The Vision

Sushanth wants Verifeye to help:

students and families

non-technical users

professionals handling sensitive information

This project shows how AI can be used not just for innovation — but for real protection in daily life.

“Most people don’t realize they’re being scammed until it’s too late. I wanted to change that.”
— Sushanth Punuru

At BetterMind Labs, students don’t just learn AI — they build tools that solve real problems in cybersecurity, healthcare, and beyond.

Discover more student projects → bettermindlabs.org/students

💬 Comment “AI for Cybersecurity” if you want to see Verifeye go live
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