Scan a File
Check a PDF for scam links before you open it
Scan a File is an Arjuna feature that checks a PDF for dangerous links and risky hidden features before you open it. Share the PDF to Arjuna on Android or iPhone and you get a Safe, Caution or Unsafe verdict with reasons. Premium feature, available on Android and iPhone.
What is Scan a File? Share or pick a PDF and Arjuna checks the links inside and risky PDF features before you open it. Safe, Caution or Unsafe, with reasons. Premium, Android and iPhone.
What Arjuna checks
A PDF can pass an antivirus scan and still be a scam. Many scam PDFs are only a message and a link, so Arjuna checks where the links inside the PDF lead. It also looks for risky features inside the file, then gives a verdict you can read.
Links inside the PDF
Arjuna finds the clickable links and the web addresses written in the text, and checks them against its threat intelligence and look-alike domain detection.
Risky PDF features
It flags JavaScript, including scripts that run when the file opens, programs the PDF tries to launch, attached files, forms that send data to another website, and links to files on another computer.
A clear verdict
You get Safe, Caution or Unsafe, with plain-English reasons you can read before deciding what to do.
How It Works
Share the file, wait a moment, read the result.
Share the PDF to Arjuna
On Android, long-press the PDF in WhatsApp or Files, choose Share, then Arjuna. On iPhone, tap Share on the PDF and choose Arjuna. You can also open Arjuna and pick a file with Scan a file. Arjuna sees only the file you choose.
Wait a few seconds
The PDF is analysed in memory on Arjuna's server and the file is never saved. It is read by an isolated, resource-limited process: it is never opened in a PDF reader and nothing in it runs. A scan usually takes a few seconds, and a PDF with many links can take up to about 20 seconds.
Read the verdict
You see Safe, Caution or Unsafe, with the reasons and any flagged links, before you decide whether to open the file.
Good to know
The details that matter before you scan.
You start the scan
Arjuna does not scan PDFs on its own. When a PDF arrives in WhatsApp or SMS, it can show a reminder you can tap to scan it. That reminder is based on the file name only.
Your file is not kept
The PDF is scanned in memory and never saved, and no record of the scan is added to your account. Only the file's SHA-256 fingerprint is used for reputation lookups, never the file itself.
Limits
PDF files only, up to 10 MB, up to 30 scans per hour. It needs an internet connection.
What Scan a File is, and is not
It is a check you run before you open a PDF, not a guarantee.
- It checks the links inside a PDF and looks for risky PDF features, then gives a Safe, Caution or Unsafe verdict.
- It does not open the links or run anything in the file. It checks the links against known threats and look-alike domains.
- It does not read text inside images, so a QR code or link that is only a picture is not checked.
- It works on PDF files only, not on other file types.
- It reduces risk and cannot promise to catch every threat or every fake link, so treat Safe as a good sign and not a guarantee.
- To check a link without a PDF, use the URL Scanner. To check a suspicious app file, see Fake APK Detection.
Download Arjuna
Scan a File is part of Arjuna Premium on Android and iPhone.
Common lures
Scam PDFs we see most in India.
These are the kinds of PDF Scan a File is built for. Share one before you open it.
Fake KYC update
A PDF that says your bank account will be blocked unless you update your KYC, with a link to a look-alike bank page.
Fake invoice
An invoice or payment receipt you were not expecting, with a link to "view details" or "pay now".
Fake job offer letter
An offer letter that asks for a fee or your documents through a link inside the PDF.
Fake application receipt
A receipt for a government or loan application that sends you to a page asking for your details.
How to spot a fake KYC or job-offer PDF
- It arrives on WhatsApp, SMS or a personal number, not in your bank's own app or from its registered sender ID.
- It asks for an OTP, PIN, CVV or Aadhaar number, or tells you to act today.
- The file name is generic, and the text does not use your name or the last digits of your account.
- The link is shortened, or the domain is a near-copy of the bank's name.
- Banks generally do not complete KYC through a chat attachment. Open the bank's own app, or call the number on your card, instead.
Read more: Fake KYC PDF on WhatsApp: How to Check It Before Opening
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions we hear every day.
Everything you need to know about scanning a PDF with Arjuna.
Can a PDF have a virus?
A PDF can carry scripts that run when it opens, programs it tries to launch and attached files. Arjuna looks for these and tells you if it finds them. It never opens the PDF in a reader, so nothing in the file runs while it checks.
Is an antivirus or online file scanner enough to check a PDF?
Virus and file checks are useful, but they look for known malicious code. A scam PDF that is only a message and a link may contain none, so the link itself has to be checked. Scan a File checks the links inside the PDF, including web addresses written in the text, as well as risky PDF features. Using both is sensible.
Can a PDF carry a phishing link?
Yes. A PDF can hide a phishing link behind normal-looking text or a button. Fake KYC, invoice and job-offer PDFs are a common lure. Arjuna finds both clickable links and web addresses written in the text, and checks them against Arjuna's threat feed and engine and look-alike domain detection.
How do I check a PDF I got on WhatsApp?
On Android, long-press the PDF in WhatsApp and choose Share, then Arjuna. On iPhone, tap Share on the PDF and choose Arjuna. Wait a few seconds and read the Safe, Caution or Unsafe verdict and its reasons before you open the file.
What do Safe, Caution and Unsafe mean?
Unsafe means Arjuna found something dangerous, such as a dangerous link, a link to a file on another computer, a program launch, a script that runs when the file opens, or the file being flagged as a known threat. Caution means something needs a closer look, for example a form script (common in genuine bank and government forms), attached files, a form that sends data to another site, a password-protected or damaged PDF, or links it could not check. Safe means nothing worrying was found. The reasons are listed so you can judge for yourself.
Is it safe to upload a PDF to a scanner? Does Arjuna keep my PDF?
The PDF is sent to Arjuna's server to be scanned and analysed in memory, and the file is never saved. Only the file's SHA-256 fingerprint is used for reputation lookups, never the file itself. Our server logs keep the file's fingerprint and the web links found in it for up to 8 days for security and troubleshooting. You see a one-time notice in the app before your first scan.
Why can't Arjuna scan PDFs automatically?
Android and iPhone do not let apps read other apps' files in the background, and Arjuna does not ask for broad access to your files. So you choose which PDF to scan, by sharing it to Arjuna or picking it inside the app. On Android, Arjuna can remind you when a PDF arrives in WhatsApp or SMS.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes. Scan a File works on Android and iPhone. On iPhone, share the PDF to Arjuna from the share sheet, or pick it inside the app.
Is Scan a File free?
Scan a File is a Premium plan feature. See the Pricing page for plan details.
How long does a scan take, and are there limits?
A scan usually takes a few seconds, and a PDF with many links can take up to about 20 seconds. You can scan PDF files up to 10 MB, up to 30 times per hour. It needs an internet connection.
Can it scan Word, Excel, ZIP or image files?
No. Scan a File works on PDF files only.
Does a Safe result guarantee the PDF is safe?
No scanner can promise that. Safe means Arjuna found nothing worrying. If a PDF asks for your OTP, PIN or bank details, do not enter them, whatever the verdict.
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