What to do.
Each point is followed by the words it rests on and where they come from.
- 1
Look closely at hands, teeth, eyes and faces.
“Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, such as distorted hands or feet, unrealistic teeth or eyes,”
- 2
Be most suspicious of a celebrity, executive or expert pushing an investment.
“Investment clubs employ AI-generated videos and voices of celebrities, CEOs, or trusted figures”
FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report · Apr 2026
- 3
Expect realistic fakes of candidates and officials around elections.
“Scammers also exploit artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate highly realistic voices, images, and written messages”
FBI IC3 public service announcement I-101526-3-PSA, 'Scammers Exploit 2026 U.S. Midterm Election to Perpetrate Multiple Fraud Schemes' · Oct 15, 2026
- 4
Check that the contact details belong to the organization the message claims to come from.
“Confirm unsolicited contact information is associated with the organization it claims to represent.”
FBI IC3 public service announcement I-101526-3-PSA, 'Scammers Exploit 2026 U.S. Midterm Election to Perpetrate Multiple Fraud Schemes' · Oct 15, 2026
- 5
If a caller or video asks for something, hang up and contact the organization yourself.
“Verify the identity of the person calling you by hanging up the phone,”
- 6
Never send money or crypto because of a video or call alone.
“Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know”
Keep going.
How to check an AI answer before you trust it
Chatbots can state wrong things with confidence. Even AI tools built for lawyers gave incorrect information more than 17% of the time in Stanford's 2024 tests, and courts have now dealt with 2,202 cases of AI-made-up material.
PrivacyWhat not to tell a chatbot
Your chats are seen by the company that runs the chatbot. They can be used for training unless you turn that off, and they can outlive the company: states asked for protections for private chats in Character.AI's bankruptcy.
ScamsHow to spot an AI voice-clone call
Scammers can clone a loved one's voice from a short clip. The FBI counted over $5 million lost to 'loved one in distress' scams in 2025. A cloned voice can sound right, so check the story another way.