qr_code_scanner Scan If FoundTM

Privacy policy

Last updated November 7, 2026

Scan If Found is run by Rec-Safe (RECSAFE), a Washington corporation ("we" and "us"). This policy says what Scan If Found keeps about you, why, who else sees it, and what you can do about it. It covers Scan If Found only; our other sites and apps have their own.

What we keep

When you use Scan If Found, we keep:

  • your name, email address, phone number, and the emergency contact you give
  • each item's type, name, description, serial number, sticker code, and photo (or PDF)
  • whether you chose to show your contact details to whoever scans the sticker
  • your sign-in details: a scrambled (hashed) password and any passkeys
  • the reports finders send: their name, the contact details and message they give, and the date
  • a log of sign-ins and page visits (the time, the page, the IP address, and the browser), to keep the site safe

You sign in with your email and a password, a one-time link emailed to you, or a passkey; Rec-Safe staff, Coast Guard, and first-responder accounts are set up by us.

Like any website, our servers also keep a short log of the pages asked for (with the IP address, the browser, and the time), to keep the site running and safe. We don't use analytics, advertising, or tracking services.

Why we keep it

Only to run Scan If Found for you: to put finders in touch with owners, to help the Coast Guard and first responders when a found item may mean someone is in danger, to send the emails the site needs to, and to keep it working and secure. We don't sell or rent your information, we don't show ads, and we don't use it for anything else.

Who else sees it

When someone scans your sticker, they see a form to report it found. Your name, phone number, and emergency contact show there only if you chose to make them public. A finder's report goes to you by email and is copied to Rec-Safe. Rec-Safe staff, and the Coast Guard and first-responder accounts we set up, can see registered items and reports, to return items and in emergencies. Item photos aren't listed or indexed, but anyone with a photo's direct link can open it. If you add a listing to the Scan If Found directory, its details (including any email and phone number) can be searched by anyone.

We use these services to run Scan If Found, and each sees only what it needs:

  • Amazon Web Services, which hosts our servers in the United States, where everything the app keeps is stored
  • Postmark, which sends our emails, so it handles your email address and the message
  • Google Fonts, which supplies the fonts, so your browser asks Google for them and Google sees your IP address
  • Google Translate, which translates the page when you use its menu, so Google sees the page and may set its own cookie

We'd share information if the law makes us (a court order, for example), or to protect someone's safety. If Rec-Safe ever handed Scan If Found to someone else, this policy would go with it.

Cookies

Scan If Found uses one cookie, to keep you signed in. If you use the Google Translate menu, Google may set a cookie of its own to remember the language.

How long we keep it, and deleting it

We keep your information while you use Scan If Found. To release an item, sign in at scan-if-found.org and choose "I've sold or no longer possess this item", which clears your details from it. To have your account, reports, and photos deleted entirely, email us and we'll do it, apart from anything the law makes us keep (such as payment records). Server logs are kept only as long as they're needed to run and protect the site, and backups are overwritten in time.

Keeping it safe

Every page uses an encrypted connection (HTTPS). Passwords are kept only as scrambled hashes, sign-in links work once and expire, and only Rec-Safe staff and the accounts we set up can see owners' details. No website is perfectly secure, but if something ever goes wrong in a way that puts your information at real risk, we'll tell you, and the authorities when the law requires it.

Children

Scan If Found isn't meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly keep a child's information. If you think a child has given us theirs, email us and we'll delete it.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us what we keep about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, by emailing info@rec-safe.com. We'll answer within 30 days. Depending on where you live (for example in Canada, a US state such as Washington or California, the UK, or the EU), the law may give you more rights, and we honour them for everyone.

Our servers are in the United States, so if you're elsewhere, your information is stored and handled there, under US law. In Canada, if you're not satisfied with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Changes and questions

If we change this policy, we'll change the date at the top, and if a change is big, we'll say so on Scan If Found first. Questions? Email info@rec-safe.com.