Scams have always borrowed from the language of the moment. The difference now is that the moment can write back, copy a voice, clean up bad grammar, and build a convincing website in minutes.
In 2025, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 22,000 complaints involving AI-related cybercrime.
That number helps explain why old scam advice can feel thin. “Look for typos” is no longer enough when a fake email looks polished. “Trust your eyes” is weaker when a video call can be manipulated. “Call customer service” can backfire when the number at the top of a search result belongs to a scammer.
The new best practices for identifying scams? Verify the path, not the performance.
Start With the Email, But Don’t Stay There
AI-generated messages often imitate the rhythm of real life, mimicking a missed delivery, a bank alert, a subscription renewal notice, or a boss asking for a quick favor. The fake message may use your name and may refer to a service you actually use.
Before clicking on the message’s link or call to action, step away from the email or text. Open a browser or app you already trust and go directly to the company’s website.
If the suspicious message says there’s a problem with your account, you should be able to see and address that issue after you log in through the official app. If you’re not seeing any concerns with your actual account, treat the email or text as suspicious and report it as “junk.” The same goes for attachments, QR codes, and “secure” links.
Be Careful Which Number You Call
Fake customer service numbers deserve the same caution.
Scammers know people search for contact information in a hurry, especially when a flight is canceled, a package is missing, or a bank card stops working. They create pages that look helpful, then push fake numbers into search results or ads. Once you call, the “representative” may ask for remote access, gift card payment, or a verification code that lets them into your account.
When you need customer service assistance, the safest move is to find a contact number from a source you already control and trust, like the back of your card, a billing statement, the official app, or the company’s verified website.
Be careful with sponsored search results and be even more careful when someone asks you to download software, read back a one-time passcode, or move money “to protect it.” Real support teams do not need you to help them bypass your own security.
Slow Down Before You Check Out
Cloned websites are tricky because they’re built to feel familiar. Scammers can copy a logo, color palette, and checkout page almost perfectly.
Before entering payment information, look closely at the address bar. Misspellings, extra words, odd endings, and long strings of unnecessary characters are warning signs that this site may not be what it seems.
When you’re shopping online, start from the retailer’s official app or type the address yourself. For financial accounts, use saved bookmarks. For charities, government agencies, utilities, and toll notices, search for the organization separately and compare details.
If a website is pushing a countdown clock, a surprise fee, or a threat, pause. A sense of urgency is one of the oldest scam tools.
Create a Second Way to Verify
Deepfake scams need a different kind of verification. A voice that sounds like your child, spouse, parent, or manager can still be fake.
Families and workplaces should agree on a private code word or question that’s hard to guess from social media and confirms the identity of the person on the other end of the line. The point is to create a second door that a cloned voice cannot open.
If someone asks for money, passwords, verification codes, or secrecy around the conversation, take a step back before responding. Scammers want you to panic and react quickly. Instead, hang up, close the message, and contact the person another way.
The Safest Habit? Refusing to Rush
The rise of AI scams doesn’t mean you need to become a cybersecurity expert overnight. It does mean that small habits matter more than ever, though.
A few extra minutes to check a link, look up a phone number, call someone back, or question an urgent request can be enough to stop a scam before it starts.
As these schemes become more convincing, the best protection is to build verification into everyday life: Pause, leave the message or call, and verify through a source you already trust.
