6 min read
How to spot an AI-made scam
The technology that writes your birthday card also writes very convincing scam messages, clones voices from a few seconds of audio, and creates photos of people who do not exist. Here is what still gives them away.
Start here
- Agree a family safe word today and tell everyone, including the grandchildren.
- Never call back a number given in the message — use one you already have.
- Any deadline plus a payment request is a stop sign, no matter who it appears to be from.
The old advice is out of date
For years we were told to look for bad spelling and clumsy grammar. AI has removed that clue completely. Scam messages now read beautifully.
So judge the request, not the writing. What are they actually asking you to do, and how quickly?
The pattern that never changes
Almost every scam, however modern, contains the same three ingredients. Spot two of them together and stop.
- Urgency: 'today', 'within the hour', 'your account will be closed'.
- Secrecy: 'don't tell anyone', 'don't mention it to the bank'.
- An unusual payment: transfer, gift cards, crypto, or reading out a code.
Voices and faces can be faked
A few seconds of someone's voice from a social media video is enough to imitate them on the phone. A distressed 'Mum, it's me, I've lost my phone' message is now trivially easy to fake.
This is why a safe word matters. It is a word only your family knows, never written down online, asked for whenever money or urgency is involved.
- Hang up and ring back on the number you already have saved.
- Ask something only the real person would know — not something findable online.
- Be suspicious of a new number 'because I lost my phone'.
Photos and websites that do not exist
Fake shops, fake charities and fake investment sites can now be built in an afternoon, complete with smiling staff photos of people who have never existed.
- Check for a real address and landline, then search that address separately.
- Look at hands, ears and text in photos — AI still gets these subtly wrong.
- Pay by card, never by bank transfer, with anyone you have not bought from before.
Use AI to check AI
This is one of the best uses of the tool. Remove your personal details first, then ask it to be sceptical for you.
Copy this
Here is a message I received, with my personal details removed. Act as a fraud investigator: list every warning sign, explain what the sender is really trying to get me to do, and tell me the safest next step. Be blunt.
Common mistakes
- Calling the number printed in the suspicious message.
- Feeling too embarrassed to check with family before paying.
- Assuming a caller is genuine because they knew your name and address — those are easy to find.
Questions people ask us
What if I already replied?
Replying alone is not a disaster. Stop the conversation, do not send money, and contact your bank if you shared any financial detail.
Who should I report it to?
Your bank first if money is involved, then your country's fraud reporting service. Reporting helps others even when nothing was lost.
Slow down, verify on a number you chose, agree a family safe word, and never feel rude for hanging up.