🪝Off the Hook

An interactive phishing ARG (alternate reality game) that educates users about the dangers of phishing attacks by letting them experience both victim and hacker perspectives.

Inspiration

Phishing scams are a growing threat to online security, targeting individuals and organizations alike. Our team wanted to create a unique, engaging, and educational platform to raise awareness about phishing tactics while offering an interactive learning experience. By mimicking a realistic banking website and switching perspectives between victim and hacker, we aim to empower users to recognize and avoid phishing attacks.

What it does

Off the Hook educates users about phishing through:

• Victim Perspective: Users are exposed to realistic phishing emails and prompted to click on links, simulating how victims fall for scams.
• Hacker Perspective: Users become the "hacker," sending fake phishing emails and learning the strategies behind successful phishing schemes.
• Educational Insights: The platform provides guidance on identifying phishing attempts and avoiding common traps.
• Interactive Terminal: A simulated terminal interface lets users explore phishing prevention tips dynamically.

How we built it

We built the project with the following technologies:

• Frontend: React, Vite, TailwindCSS, and Framer Motion for animations and styling.
• Backend: Flask, MongoDB, and OpenAI’s API for story generation and chatbot, Twilio API for email services.

Challenges we ran into

• Realism vs. Privacy: Ensuring the platform feels realistic without collecting or storing user data was a significant challenge.
• Simulating Complexity: Creating a convincing phishing experience while maintaining accessibility for non-technical users.
• Dynamic Animations: Leveraging Framer Motion to ensure smooth, responsive transitions throughout the platform.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Developing a realistic, interactive phishing simulation that educates users effectively.
• Balancing user engagement with strong ethical standards, ensuring no data is collected or stored.
• Creating a scalable, visually appealing platform with advanced animations and smooth user experiences.

What's next for Off the Hook

• Enhanced Scenarios: Expanding the phishing simulation to include social media platforms and text message scams.
• Gamification: Introducing rewards and progress tracking to make learning more engaging.
• Multi-language Support: Making the platform accessible to a global audience.
• Real-world Training: Partnering with organizations (like RBC!) to provide phishing training simulations for employees.

Usage

Go to https://www.my-rbc.us/!

• Explore the Hacked Page: Users are greeted with a message indicating they have been hacked, along with educational content on phishing prevention.
• Switch Perspectives: Users can click a button to switch to the hacker's perspective, where they can learn about the dangers of phishing strategies.
• Interactive Control Panel: Simulate a terminal interface to educate others about phishing scams.