AI for Fraud Awareness: Spotting the New Tricks

Older adults often have savings, often pick up the phone, and often want to help family. Scammers know this. AI now makes their tricks faster and more convincing, but it also gives you new tools to push back.

Three new AI scams to know

1. 1Voice clone calls: a 30-second clip of a grandchild's voice (often from social media) is enough to fake a panicked phone call.
2. 2Polished phishing emails: AI now writes scam emails with no spelling mistakes and the right business tone.
3. 3Fake video calls: short videos of a relative or boss asking you to send money or buy gift cards.

Use AI on your side

• Paste a suspicious email into a chatbot and ask: 'Is this likely a scam? What red flags do you see?'
• Ask: 'How would I check whether this number really belongs to my bank?'
• Ask: 'What does the IRS actually do when they want to reach me?'

The big idea: slow down, hang up, verify. AI cannot rush a person who refuses to be rushed.