How to Spot AI Scams: Voice Clones, Fake Videos, and Phishing
Written for parents, people getting started later in life, small business owners, and creators.
Last updated October 16, 2026
AI can make a fake voice, image, video, or message look convincing. Slow down when a request is urgent, secret, or asks for gift cards, wire transfers, passwords, or sign-in codes. Hang up and call the person or organization back using a number you already trust.
The voice or video may not prove who is calling
A voice clone is computer-made audio that sounds like a real person. A fake video can also copy a face or make it appear that someone said something they did not say.
Do not argue with the caller or rely on how familiar the voice sounds. End the call. Then contact the person through a number or account you already know.
Use a family safe word and the call-back rule
Choose a family safe word in person or through a trusted conversation. Do not post it online. A real family member can use it during an unusual emergency request.
The call-back rule is simple: hang up and call back using a trusted number. For a bank, government office, delivery company, or other organization, use the number on its official website, statement, or card—not the number in the suspicious message.
Notice the pressure, not only the technology
Many scams use familiar pressure even when AI helps make the message look real. The request may demand immediate action, secrecy, or an unusual kind of payment.
- Urgency: “Act now or something terrible will happen.”
- Secrecy: “Do not tell anyone else.”
- Unusual payment: gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or cash delivery.
- Account access: a request for a password, sign-in code, or remote control of your device.
- A new contact method: a different number, email address, or social account.
A simple example
A caller sounds like a relative and says there has been an emergency. The caller wants money immediately and says not to tell anyone. Instead of continuing, the listener hangs up and calls the relative on the number already saved in the phone.
Create a short family checklist for suspicious urgent calls. Include our family safe-word plan, the hang-up-and-call-back rule, and a reminder never to send gift cards or wire transfers because of an unexpected call. Do not ask me to type our real safe word.
What to look for
- Steps that begin with slowing down and ending the suspicious contact.
- A call back through a number the family already trusts.
- No real safe word, password, or private family detail in the prompt.
Try this
Make a six-item scam safety checklist in large, simple language for a family refrigerator. Include: pause, keep it private from the caller but tell a trusted person, hang up, call back on a trusted number, never share sign-in codes, and never pay an unexpected caller with gift cards or a wire transfer.
Read the checklist with your family. Choose the real safe word away from the AI chat and keep it off public social media.
Common mistakes
- Trusting the sound of a familiar voiceA convincing voice is not proof. Hang up and call the person through a number you already know.
- Calling the number in the messageUse a saved number, an official website, a statement, or the number printed on the back of a card.
- Keeping the request secretScammers use secrecy to isolate people. Tell a trusted person and check the story.
- Sending an unusual paymentUnexpected demands for gift cards or wire transfers are a strong reason to stop.
- Sharing the family safe word onlineChoose it privately and do not include it in posts, public profiles, or an AI prompt.
Questions people ask
What is a voice clone?
It is computer-made audio designed to sound like a real person. A familiar voice by itself does not prove who is calling.
What should I do during an urgent family call?
Slow down, hang up, and call your family member through a number you already trust. Use your private family safe word if you have one.
How can I check a message from my bank?
Do not use the message's link or phone number. Contact the bank through its official app, website, statement, or the number on the back of your card.
Are gift cards a warning sign?
An unexpected caller demanding gift cards is a strong warning sign. Stop and verify the request through a separate, trusted contact method.
Can every fake video be spotted by looking closely?
No. Visual mistakes may offer clues, but a polished fake can be difficult to judge. Check the original source and confirm through a separate trusted channel.
What if I already sent money or shared a code?
Contact the bank, payment service, or affected account through its official channel as soon as you can. Change exposed sign-in details and tell a trusted person so you do not handle it alone.