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How to spot AI scams, voice clones and deepfakes

AI makes scams more convincing, but the scams themselves haven’t changed much: they still push you to act fast, keep it secret and pay in a way that’s hard to reverse. Learn those patterns and you can catch AI-powered scams too.Updated September 29, 2026

How scammers use AI

The FBI warns that criminals use generative AI to make fraud more believable and to reach more people with less effort. Common uses:

  • Text: polished phishing emails and messages with no spelling mistakes, fake social media profiles, and chatbots on fake investment sites.
  • Images: realistic profile photos, fake IDs and pictures that “prove” a person is real.
  • Voice clones: a short clip of a loved one’s voice, used in a fake emergency call asking for money.
  • Video: fake videos of public figures promoting investments or products, and even live video calls with a fake executive or official.

Good spelling and a familiar voice are no longer proof that a message is real.

The warning signs that still work

  • Urgency: “right now”, “before it’s too late”, “your account will be closed today”.
  • Secrecy: “don’t tell anyone”, “don’t hang up”, “this is confidential”.
  • Unusual payment: gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps or cash couriers.
  • A contact you didn’t start: an unexpected call, text, DM or email, even from a number or name you know.
  • Too good to be true: guaranteed returns, a celebrity endorsement, a prize you didn’t enter.
  • Pressure to move the conversation to another app or to install software.

If a message has two or more of these, stop and verify before you do anything else.

Voice clone calls: what to do

A call from a panicked “grandchild”, child or friend who needs money right now is a classic scam that AI voice cloning makes more convincing. The FTC’s advice is simple: don’t trust the voice. Hang up and call the person back on a number you know is theirs, or check with another family member.

  • Agree on a family code word or phrase now, so anyone in a real emergency can prove who they are. The FBI recommends this.
  • Ask a question only the real person would know, and not one whose answer is on social media.
  • Never pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer because a caller asked you to.

How to check a suspicious image or video

AI-made images and videos keep getting better, so don’t rely on spotting glitches alone. The FBI lists signs that can still give fakes away: distorted hands or feet, unnatural teeth or eyes, blurry or irregular faces, odd glasses or jewellery, wrong shadows, lag, and voices that don’t match the lips.

The stronger check is the source. Ask where the video came from, look for the same news from a trusted outlet, and search for the claim itself. A real celebrity or bank won’t ask you to invest through a link in a video.

Protect yourself before a scam starts

  • Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-step verification for email, banking and social media.
  • Limit how much of your voice and face is public, and keep social accounts private where you can.
  • Never share sign-in codes. No real bank, company or government agency will ask you for one.
  • Slow down. A real emergency can wait the two minutes it takes to call back.

If you think you’ve been targeted

  1. Stop contact and don’t send more money or information.
  2. Contact your bank or payment app straight away if you paid or shared account details.
  3. Change passwords for any accounts you shared, starting with your email.
  4. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to the FBI’s IC3 at ic3.gov if money was lost online. Outside the US, contact your national fraud reporting service.

How Mekat helps

Mekat’s stage “Privacy, safety and scams” has short lessons on phishing, voice clones and deepfakes, what never to paste into AI and account safety, with practice on realistic examples. See the full learning path.

Quick answers

Can AI clone someone’s voice?

Yes. The FBI and FTC both warn that scammers use short audio clips to clone a loved one’s voice for fake emergency calls. Hang up and call the person back on a number you know.

What is a family code word?

A word or phrase your family agrees on in advance, so someone calling in a real emergency can prove who they are. The FBI recommends one as a defence against voice clone scams.

How can I tell if a video is a deepfake?

Look for mismatched lips and voice, odd hands, teeth, eyes or shadows, and lag, but check the source first: find the same news from a trusted outlet before you believe or share it.

Sources

Written by the Mekat team at Martinez Solutions LLC, Glendale, Arizona. Spotted something out of date? support@martinezsolutionsaz.com