How do you spot AI scams and deepfakes?
The short answer
Stop judging by how real it sounds or looks, because AI can erase the usual tells. Check the channel instead: hang up and call back on a number you know is theirs, agree on a family code word, and treat any push to pay by wire, gift card or crypto as a warning sign.
In detail
The FTC describes how voice cloning works: a scammer takes a short audio clip of your relative, perhaps from a video posted online, and runs it through a voice-cloning program. The call that follows sounds like your grandson or daughter, panicked and asking for money fast.
Video has caught up. The FBI warned in December 2024 that criminals use AI-generated video in real-time video chats, posing as company executives, police officers or other authority figures. A boss on camera asking for an urgent transfer no longer proves the boss is asking.
Next, the flawless phishing email. The same FBI alert says AI tools fix the spelling and grammar mistakes that used to give scammers away, and help them send convincing messages faster and to more people. A clean email from your bank proves nothing about who sent it.
What still works is checking the channel, not the content. Hang up, then ring the person on a number you already had for them. If you cannot reach your relative, the FTC suggests calling another family member or friend, even if the caller begged you to keep it secret.
Agree on a code word or a question only your family can answer, and use it whenever a call turns to money; the FBI recommends exactly that. The FTC adds that a demand to pay by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency is a red flag by itself.
Software helps most with the written part. Scamio, a free chatbot from Bitdefender, checks a suspicious message or link for signs of phishing and fraud. Bitdefender does not say whether Scamio trains on what you paste, so remove account numbers first. Malwarebytes Browser Guard, a free extension, blocks scam pages.
Paid plans go further. NordVPN's Complete plan warns about likely scam calls before you answer; it costs €4.49 a month over the first 27 months, then renews at €219.48 a year. Surfshark One checks texts and email for phishing, and lists scam call protection as coming soon.
None of these four tools lists a feature that recognizes a cloned voice, so the callback and the code word stay your main defense. Prices and features were read on 22 September 2026.
Spotted one? Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or at ic3.gov if you lost money. The FBI asks for payment details such as dates, amounts and account numbers, so note them before you delete anything.