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Do not try to authenticate a suspicious message, voice or video by appearance alone. A familiar voice, face, name, caller ID or polished writing can be faked. Stop the interaction, then verify both the person and the request through a contact method you already trusted before the message arrived.
The rule that prevents most AI-assisted scams
Treat an unexpected request for money, account access, passwords, multifactor authentication (MFA) codes, secrecy or an unfamiliar link as unverified—even when the sender sounds exactly like someone you know or appears in a convincing video.
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End the call or stop replying. Contact the supposed person or organization separately using a phone number, app, website or other channel you had already confirmed. Do not use a callback number, link, attachment or contact detail supplied by the suspicious communication. If you cannot reach the person, ask another trusted person to help check the story.
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This approach matters because modern scams combine several forms of impersonation. The FBI has warned that criminals use AI to create convincing voice and video messages, emails and texts. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) also cautions that caller ID, text messages and email addresses can be spoofed. Identity is established by an independent check, not by how realistic the media looks.
What an AI-assisted scam can look like
A cloned voice in a family-emergency scam
A caller may claim to be a child, grandchild or other relative who has been arrested, injured or stranded. The voice can sound natural enough to trigger an emotional response. The caller then demands immediate payment, often insisting that you tell no one. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) describes this pattern as a fake-emergency scam; AI voice cloning can make the impersonation more persuasive.
A fake executive, colleague or official
A text, email, voice note or video may appear to come from a manager, public official, lawyer, bank employee or government representative. The message can ask you to transfer money, buy gift cards, reveal a password or forward an MFA code. A realistic name, photograph, signature or video background does not prove that the account or person is genuine.
A polished message with a dangerous link
AI can produce fluent, tailored writing. Good grammar is therefore not a safety signal. A message may mention your job, a recent event or a genuine account problem and direct you to a login page, document, payment form or software download. Check the destination independently instead of trusting the wording or display name.
Warning signs in the request and context
Look first at what the sender wants and how they want you to act. One clue can have an innocent explanation; several together should make you stop.
- Urgency: You are told to pay, click, transfer or disclose information immediately, before you can think or consult anyone.
- Secrecy: The sender says not to tell a spouse, relative, co-worker, bank or police officer.
- Emotional pressure: Fear for a loved one, threats of arrest or account closure, embarrassment, sympathy or an appeal to prove loyalty replaces normal details.
- High-risk payment methods: Wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards and payment apps are requested for an unexpected emergency or invoice.
- Requests for access or codes: The sender asks for a password, account number, contact list, MFA code, recovery code or remote access to a device. A legitimate support representative should not need you to read an MFA code aloud.
- Unfamiliar contact details: A new phone number, email address, messaging account or web address differs subtly from the one you normally use.
- Unverified files or software: You are told to open an attachment, install a program or use a link supplied in the message.
- Unusual communication pattern: A person who normally calls you asks for a new payment method, avoids ordinary questions or refuses a normal callback.
Display names and caller ID are presentation fields, not proof. Compare the actual number or address with one stored in your records, and begin a new conversation yourself.
Audio and video clues: useful suspicion, unreliable authentication
The FBI’s consumer guidance lists possible signs of manipulated media, including unnatural pauses or delays, choppy sentences, unusual inflections, incongruent background noise, irregular facial features, odd blinking or movement, and inconsistent shadows, colors or lighting. These observations can justify stopping the conversation, but they cannot prove that a message is fake or real.
Possible voice anomalies
- Pauses that occur in the wrong places or a noticeable delay before replies.
- Flat, overly regular or otherwise unusual emphasis and intonation.
- Words that sound clipped, blended or mechanically articulated.
- Background noise that does not match the location or changes unnaturally.
- A person who cannot answer ordinary follow-up questions despite sounding familiar.
Possible video anomalies
- Facial edges, teeth, hair or jewelry that change shape between frames.
- Blinking, eye movement, lip motion or head movement that does not match the speech.
- Lighting, reflections or shadows that conflict with the stated setting.
- Skin tone, colors or image sharpness that shift around the face.
- Objects or people in the background that warp, disappear or move inconsistently.
High-quality synthetic media may show none of these defects, and a genuine call can have delays, poor lighting or background noise. The FBI’s campaign warning says cloned voices can sound nearly identical to a known person and that AI-generated content may be difficult to identify. Never make a payment or disclose information because a voice or video “passed” a visual or listening test.
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Use this sequence whenever the request is unexpected or asks for money, credentials, codes, secrecy or a risky click.
- Stop the interaction. Do not argue with the caller or follow instructions while you investigate. Say that you will call back, then hang up. If it is a message, stop replying and do not click anything.
- Start a fresh contact. Call a number already saved in your phone or written in trusted records. For a bank, employer, government office or other organization, find the official number or website independently. Do not use the number, QR code, link or email reply address supplied by the suspicious contact.
- Confirm the person and the request. Ask whether the claimed emergency, transfer, account problem or other request is real. Verify the specific action, not merely the person’s name. Someone can impersonate a real employee or relative while making a request that person never made.
- Use a prearranged family check when appropriate. A private question or code phrase agreed on before an emergency can add evidence. It is one part of verification, not a replacement for calling a known number or checking with another person.
- Bring in a second trusted person. Contact another family member, colleague or adviser, especially when the caller demands secrecy or the supposed person cannot be reached. A second perspective can expose a timeline or payment detail that the first recipient missed.
- Keep money and access protected until the check is complete. Do not send funds, disclose credentials or MFA codes, click an unverified link, open an attachment or install software at the sender’s direction.
Why a separate channel matters
Calling back through the same conversation does not test identity if the attacker controls the account, phone session or link. A separate channel breaks that dependency. For example, open your bank’s app yourself, type a known website address manually or use a number printed on a statement; do not press a number in the suspicious text or call a number read by the caller.
Choosing the safest verification method
| Method | When it helps | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Call a known number | A relative, colleague or service has a number saved or recorded before the incident. | Begin a new call yourself; do not rely on caller ID or a callback number in the message. |
| Use a previously confirmed channel | You normally communicate through a known messaging account, workplace directory or official app. | Open the app or site independently and initiate contact there. |
| Ask a prearranged question or phrase | Family or teams established a private check before any emergency. | Use it as an additional check, not as the only evidence. |
| Ask a second trusted person | The request is secret, urgent, emotional or the supposed person cannot be reached. | Share the original message and payment details so the other person can assess the context. |
What not to disclose or send
Until identity and the request are independently confirmed, keep the following private:
- Passwords, PINs, security questions and account-recovery answers.
- One-time MFA codes, approval prompts and recovery codes.
- Bank, card, tax, identity-document and cryptocurrency-wallet details.
- Contact lists, employee records or other information that can help target additional people.
- Remote-control access to a computer or phone.
- Money sent by wire, cryptocurrency, payment app or gift card.
Never read an MFA code to an unexpected caller. If you receive an approval notification you did not initiate, reject it and investigate through the service’s official app or website.
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“Your grandchild” needs money now
End the call. Contact the grandchild on the number already in your address book or through a known account. If there is no answer, call another relative. Ask whether the emergency exists and whether anyone requested a particular payment method. Do not buy gift cards, send a wire or transfer cryptocurrency while the story remains unverified.
A “bank employee” asks for a code
Do not provide the code or click the supplied link. Close the conversation and open the bank’s app or use the number on an existing statement. Ask whether there is a real account issue. If you already approved a transaction or exposed credentials, tell the bank’s fraud department immediately.
A manager sends a video asking for a transfer
Do not treat the face or voice as authorization. Contact the manager through the company directory or another established channel and confirm the exact amount, recipient and approval process. Follow your organization’s normal payment controls, even if the video claims that the request is confidential.
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Speed improves the chance of limiting damage, but do not assume a payment can be reversed.
- Contact the bank, card issuer or payment company immediately. Explain that the transaction may be fraudulent or unauthorized and ask what cancellation, recall or account-protection steps are available.
- Secure affected accounts. Change exposed passwords from a clean device, sign out other sessions, revoke unfamiliar app access and contact the service provider about compromised MFA or recovery details.
- Preserve evidence. Keep the original messages, email headers, phone numbers, usernames, URLs, screenshots, receipts, wallet addresses, dates and times. Do not edit the originals.
- Warn people who may be targeted next. If your account or contact list was exposed, tell colleagues, family members or customers to ignore follow-up requests appearing to come from you.
- Report the incident. In the United States, the FTC directs consumers to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and their state attorney general. The CFPB also identifies local police or sheriff, the state attorney general, the FTC and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for relevant scams. The FBI’s May 2025 campaign notice asks victims of that campaign to report at IC3.gov.
Set up protection before an emergency
- Store relatives’ and important organizations’ phone numbers in a place you can access without relying on a recent message.
- Agree with family members on a private question or phrase and decide who should be called if someone claims there is an emergency.
- Use MFA, unique passwords and automatic software updates. Treat an MFA prompt you did not initiate as a warning, not as a request to approve access.
- Establish payment rules at home and work: no urgent transfer without a second-person check, and no change to a payment method based only on a message.
- Teach older relatives and less-technical co-workers that a familiar voice, caller ID or video is not an identity check.
- Keep copies of account recovery information and important numbers in a secure location, separate from the device receiving messages.
How to judge a legitimate urgent contact
Real emergencies can be time-sensitive, and genuine organizations sometimes contact customers unexpectedly. The safe response is not to ignore every urgent message; it is to separate urgency from authorization.
- A legitimate contact should tolerate a callback through an independently obtained number.
- A real organization should provide a normal route to confirm the case in its official app, website or published support channel.
- A trustworthy relative or colleague should not object to you involving another person when money or account access is at stake.
- Normal procedures still apply: invoices, account changes and transfers should follow established approval steps rather than a one-off secret instruction.
If the sender refuses independent verification, increases the pressure or changes the payment instructions, treat that behavior as evidence against the request. You do not need to determine whether the media is synthetic before ending the interaction.
What the official guidance says about AI clues
The FBI’s May 8, 2024 warning described criminals using AI to create highly convincing voice or video messages and emails. FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp said: “As technology continues to evolve, so do cybercriminals’ tactics. Attackers are leveraging AI to craft highly convincing voice or video messages and emails to enable fraud schemes against individuals and businesses alike,”
The FBI’s consumer material lists audio and video irregularities as possible indicators, while its campaign guidance emphasizes that synthetic content can be hard to identify. The CFPB’s fraud guidance explains that impostors can use synthetic media and spoofed caller ID, text and email. The practical conclusion is consistent across those sources: inspect media for clues, but authenticate the request outside the media.
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