Threat Detection Add-on

Velaro's Threat Detection compliance add-on automatically monitors all incoming visitor messages for threatening language and takes immediate protective action — sending an SMS alert, blocking the visitor's IP, and ending the conversation.

Designed for government agencies, public utilities, law enforcement, and any organization where staff safety is a compliance requirement.

What It Does

When a visitor sends a message containing a credible threat, Velaro:

1. Sends an SMS alert immediately to your configured admin phone number

2. Optionally auto-blocks the visitor's IP address

3. Optionally auto-ends the conversation

All three actions happen automatically within seconds of the threatening message being received.

Who Needs This

• Government agencies — city halls, county offices, DMV, housing authorities, public defenders
• Law enforcement / courts — police non-emergency lines, court systems, probation offices
• Public utilities — water, electric, gas, transit authorities
• Healthcare systems — hospital intake, behavioral health, VA facilities
• Education — university help desks, student services, financial aid

If an organization has staff who interact with the public via chat — and those staff could be threatened — this add-on applies.

How Detection Works

Detection uses pattern matching across three sensitivity levels:

Level 1 — Low (Explicit threats only)

Catches direct, unambiguous physical threats. Example: "I will kill you", "I know where you live", "I'm going to shoot up the building."

Level 2 — Medium (Recommended)

Catches explicit threats plus implied harm. Example: "You'll regret this", "Someone needs to pay for this", "I'm coming for you."

Level 3 — High (Any threatening language)

Catches any threatening or hostile language including vague intimidation. Example: "You better watch yourself", "This isn't over."

Most customers use Level 2. Government/law enforcement often use Level 3.

SMS Alert Format

When a threat is detected, the admin receives:

[VELARO THREAT ALERT] Conversation #12345 — severity 3/3.
Phrase: "I'm going to shoot up the building".
IP: 192.168.1.100.
Review at https://messaging.velaro.com/conversations/12345

The alert includes a direct link to the conversation transcript.

Included SMS Quota

Threat Detection includes 50 SMS alerts per month — no Twilio number purchase required. Velaro sends from its own system number. This is sufficient for nearly all government use cases; genuine threats are rare, and the quota resets monthly.

Customers who need higher volume can contact sales to increase the limit.

Configuration Options

Setting	Default	Notes
Alert Phone Number	(blank)	SMS destination; leave blank for no SMS
Auto-end conversation	On	Immediately closes chat when threat detected
Auto-block IP	On	Prevents visitor from starting new chats
Sensitivity	Medium (2)	Low / Medium / High

All options are configurable per site under Settings → Compliance → Threat Detection.

Liability and Compliance

Before enabling, the account admin must acknowledge a liability disclaimer confirming:

• Detection is automated pattern matching — false positives and negatives are possible
• Velaro is not responsible for undetected threats or outcomes from reliance on automated detection
• This feature supplements but does not replace professional security procedures

The acknowledgment (timestamp + user) is recorded and displayed in the settings panel.

Velaro does not claim this feature detects 100% of threats. It is an automated first line of alerting, not a substitute for law enforcement protocols.

Part of the Compliance Package

Threat Detection ships with the Compliance add-on alongside:

• PII Scrubbing — automatically redacts SSNs, credit card numbers, DOB from transcripts
• Data Retention Controls — configure how long conversation data is stored
• IP Blocking — manual and automatic visitor IP management

Proposal Talking Points

• "Your staff deserves to know when someone threatens them in real-time — not after the shift ends."
• "Compliance requirement, not an IT feature — HR and legal will push for this once they know it exists."
• "50 SMS alerts/month included — no Twilio account, no extra provisioning, no setup cost."
• "Works across all channels where Velaro receives messages."
• "Immediate action: block + end + alert happen in the same second the message arrives."
• "Liability disclaimer built-in — your legal team gets an audit trail."

Channel Coverage

Currently active on: SMS (Twilio), IVR (Twilio voice-to-text transcripts), and all channels processed through TwilioMessageReceiver.

Web chat hook is available on request for organizations requiring full cross-channel coverage.

Pricing Position

Threat Detection is an enterprise compliance add-on. Suggested positioning:

• Included in Compliance Bundle (with PII Scrubbing + Data Retention)
• Standalone add-on pricing: contact sales
• Monthly SMS quota: 50 alerts included; higher tiers available

FAQ

Q: Does the visitor know they've been flagged?

A: If Auto-end is enabled, the conversation ends. No specific "you've been flagged" message is sent — the conversation simply closes.

Q: What happens when the monthly SMS quota is used up?

A: Detection still runs. IP blocking and conversation ending still execute. Only the SMS notification is suppressed. The admin sees a warning in the settings panel.

Q: Can multiple phone numbers receive alerts?

A: Currently one phone number per site. Multi-recipient support is on the roadmap.

Q: Does this work for anonymous visitors?

A: Yes — IP address and conversation ID are captured regardless of whether the visitor is logged in.

Q: How fast is the alert?

A: SMS is sent within 1–3 seconds of the message being saved, before the agent even sees it.

Q: Can we customize the threat patterns?

A: The sensitivity slider covers three built-in tiers. Custom pattern lists are available as an enterprise customization — contact sales.