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You usually can’t reliably identify an AI-generated scam by its writing or voice. A polished email can still be phishing, and a familiar voice can be cloned. Before clicking, sharing information, or sending money, verify the request through a website or phone number you already trust—not the link or number in the message.
Why AI makes old scam clues less useful
Scammers can use AI to write fluent, tailored messages and make social engineering faster, broader, and more persuasive, the FBI warns. That means spelling mistakes and awkward phrasing are no longer dependable tests of whether an email is fraudulent. A convincing message is not proof that it came from the person or organization it names. FBI guidance on AI-enabled cybercrime
Voice cloning can also imitate someone familiar. In a May 15, 2025 alert about a specific campaign impersonating senior U.S. officials, the FBI said AI-generated voices could sound nearly identical to known contacts. That warning demonstrates why a familiar-sounding voice alone cannot authenticate a caller; it is not an estimate of how common such calls are. FBI alert on the impersonation campaign
How to check a suspicious email or text
- Pause on urgency. Be wary of unexpected claims that an account will be closed, suspicious activity must be fixed immediately, or a payment or personal information is required. Pressure to act quickly is a reason to verify, not a reason to skip checks. FTC phishing guidance
- Inspect the sender and link destination. A familiar display name does not establish who sent a message. Check the full sender address and, if you inspect a link, its destination. For an unexpected message, the safer choice is not to use its link: type the organization’s known web address yourself or open a saved bookmark.
- Contact the organization independently. If a message claims to be from your bank, employer, delivery company, or a government agency, reach it using a website or phone number you already know is genuine. Do not rely on contact details supplied in the suspicious message.
- Verify unusual requests from people you know. If a friend or colleague asks for an unusual favor, confirm through a separate phone call or a different conversation thread—not by replying in the same suspicious channel.
- Stop before high-risk actions. Do not share passwords or one-time codes, buy gift cards or send their codes, transfer cryptocurrency, or wire money until you have independently verified the request. These payment methods and account details are common targets in scams. FTC advice on AI-enhanced family emergency scams
How to respond to a suspicious call or voice message
Do not treat recognition of someone’s voice as authentication, especially when an unexpected call combines an emergency story with a demand for secrecy or immediate payment. Hang up and call the person using a number already saved in your contacts. If they are unavailable, ask another trusted relative or colleague to check through a separate channel. The FTC specifically warns about requests for wire transfers, cryptocurrency, and gift cards in family-emergency scams. FTC guidance on family emergency scams
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#1 Best Overall
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A caller’s displayed number or a message that appears in a familiar conversation is not a substitute for independent confirmation. Use a contact method you already trust rather than one the caller supplies. The FBI’s 2025 alert describes AI-generated voice and text messages used to build rapport in one impersonation campaign; it does not establish that every urgent call is AI-generated.
Why detection clues and AI detectors are not enough
Robotic-sounding speech, visual glitches, or unusual wording may raise suspicion, but their presence or absence cannot settle whether a message is genuine. The FBI says AI-generated content has advanced to the point that it is often difficult to identify. The FTC’s 2024 policy analysis of voice-cloning interventions discusses limits in watermarking and detection and concludes that “there’s still no silver bullet to prevent the harms posed by voice cloning.” That analysis is about voice-cloning interventions, not a test of every detection product. FTC analysis of approaches to voice cloning
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Independent identity verification is more useful than trying to infer authenticity from how an email reads or a voice sounds. For U.S. readers, the FTC provides current instructions for reporting suspected phishing; use the guidance for the type of message you received. FTC instructions for recognizing, avoiding, and reporting phishing
Protect accounts in case a scam exposes login details
Account protections can reduce the damage if a password is exposed, but they do not tell you whether an email was written by AI or whether a caller is genuine. CISA recommends phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA); a physical security key is one option for accounts and devices that support it. Check compatibility and recovery arrangements for each account before relying on a key. CISA guidance on requiring MFA
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A password manager can help you use unique passwords for different accounts, another measure in CISA’s phishing-mitigation guidance. It is not an AI-content detector. A security key and a password manager address different needs, so choose based on account support, device convenience, and how you would recover access if a device or key were lost.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What reported scam losses do—and do not—show
The FTC reported that people reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, in data published in 2026. This is a figure for reported imposter-scam losses overall; it is not an estimate of losses caused specifically by AI-enabled scams. FTC report on 2025 imposter-scam losses
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- THALES: We offer a wide range of FIDO authenticators, providing robust, phishing-resistant MFA that comply with stringent regulations. With almost three decades of experience, Thales is a pioneer in passwordless authentication devices, supported globally by the FIDO Alliance and industry analysts
The cited agency advice and data are U.S.-specific. Readers elsewhere should use their own country’s official reporting channels and consumer-protection guidance.
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