5 Tips For Identifying AI Scams Before It’s Too Late

Reflect On Your Emotions

If you received a message or email that tugs at your emotions in any type of way — whether positive or negative — then you should take a second to consider if you’ve just fallen prey to an AI scam.

“If it feels urgent or emotional, pause,” says Kaylin Peete, program specialist at the Family Online Safety Institute. “AI scams are designed to push your buttons. They want you to feel worried, rushed, or flattered so you’re pressured to act. Any message that makes you feel like you have to act immediately is worth slowing down and double-checking.”

Pay Attention to Pauses And Patterns

These days AI voices and videos can be impressive, but they are not perfect (at least not yet). “Keep an ear out for awkward phrasing, strange pauses, or expressions that do not quite match what is being said,” says Peete. “That uneasy feeling is often your first clue.”

You’ll often find this when you answer a call from an unknown number or if you receive a voicemail that sounds a bit awkward whether from a customer service representative or miscellaneous individual.

Don’t Be Impressed By Personal Information

According to Peete, scams today often know your name, job, or family members because that information is easy to find online. “Familiar details are meant to lower your guard, not prove legitimacy,” she explains.

If you receive an email or message from a suspicious account or phone number, then you’ll want to be cautious about how they obtained your personal information, confirm they are a credible and legitimate source and do your best to make sure they aren’t an AI hacker.

Keep An Ear Out For Familiar Voices

Mohammed Nasir, co-founder and CEO of General Agency and Altrina (formally known as Tessa AI), cautions people to be wary of talking to people on the phone who sound like someone you know.

“There are AI voice cloning scams where you get a fake phone call using clone voices of someone you already know, like a family member, your manager, or even a public figure in the company you work for, like the CEO,” Nasir tells FH.

You’ll want to verify they are calling from their usual phone number and, if necessary, ask clarifying questions to see if it’s actually the individual on the other end of the line or an AI bot.

Watch For Gibberish Text

If you receive a message that sounds like gibberish, has multiple typos, or contains run-on sentences, you’ll want to confirm its source to make sure it’s not a security risk.

Many AI generators push out messages that can make it past spam filters; however, they aren’t quality at all. In some cases, most of the information will be accurate but there will be tiny mistakes such as “.con” instead of “.com” which you could accidentally ignore if you’re not careful. You may also find awkward phrasing and language which isn’t something an actual human would use when crafting a message.

The same goes for imagery: If you receive an urgent email asking you to do something with a compelling image, be sure to check the photo’s background before acting rashly. AI-generators struggle to produce text in photos, so if you see that all that signage in the background of a photo is gibberish, it’s probably a sign the photo is AI-generated.