A person pausing to check an AI scam message on a phone with a trusted friend beside them. Illustration made with AI.
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How to Spot an AI Scam: 5 Checks Before You Pay

ByOlaolu

Home › Blog › How to Spot an AI Scam: 5 Checks Before You Pay

Last checked: 1 November 2026

An AI scam is a scam that uses AI-made text, voices, photos or videos to look real and to rush you into paying. The tools are new, but the trick is old: a message you did not expect, a story that pulls at your feelings, and pressure to pay fast. You can protect yourself without any technical skill by using the five checks below.

Why an AI scam is harder to spot by eye

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned in June 2026 that scammers use AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated pet images or videos to get money or personal information. The same idea works for any story: a photo, a voice note or a video can now be made to look real. So looks alone prove nothing. Check how the request works, not only how it looks.

Five checks before you pay or share anything

  1. Was it unexpected? The FTC’s guide says not to give personal or financial information in response to an unexpected request. Treat every surprise message the same way, however real it sounds.
  2. Is there pressure to hurry? The FTC advises you to resist pressure to act immediately and notes that honest businesses give you time to decide. Pressure is the warning sign, not a reason to move faster.
  3. How must you pay? The FTC says never to pay anyone who insists on cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card. A real seller or charity will accept more normal ways to pay.
  4. Can you check it another way? Do not use the link, number or contact details inside the message. Contact the person or company using a number or website you already trust or look up yourself.
  5. Did you talk to someone you trust? Stop and tell a friend, relative or colleague before you do anything else. A second pair of eyes often sees what you missed.

A worked example (made-up)

Suppose a customer of a small shop receives a voice note that sounds like her brother: “I am stuck, please send money to this account now, do not tell anyone.” It is unexpected, urgent and secret, and it asks for a quick transfer. That is three warning signs already. She hangs up, calls her brother on the number she always uses, and learns he is fine. The voice note was fake. Calling back on a trusted number took a minute and cost nothing.

If you think you have met an AI scam

Stop replying and do not click anything in the message. Keep a copy or screenshot as evidence. If you already sent money, call your bank at once and ask what it can do, then tell the police in your area. Warn your family, staff or customers too, because the same AI scam is often sent to many people. Telling others quickly is one of the best ways to protect them.

What can go wrong

  • Trusting a photo or a voice. Both can be made or edited by AI, so they are not proof.
  • Checking with the sender. Replying to the same message only reaches the scammer. Use another way to reach the real person.
  • Feeling embarrassed and staying silent. Tell your bank straight away if you paid, and report it to the police in your area. The FTC’s own report page, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, is for people in the United States, so use your local channels.
What to do this week: agree one family or team rule: “no money moves after a surprise message until we check by another route.” Write it down and share it. To keep your own AI use careful as well, see how to check an AI answer, how to choose a free AI assistant, the glossary and Start Here.

Sources: FTC Consumer Alert, 24 June 2026; FTC, How To Avoid a Scam (page dated July 2023). Both are US government pages, read on 1 November 2026. The example is made up.

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