An email says your account is locked, a package is waiting, or you owe money. It feels urgent. Before you click anything, you can ask AI to look at the email with you and point out the warning signs.
When this helps
Use this for any email that asks you to click a link, call a number, sign in, or pay. Scam emails often copy the logos of Amazon, PayPal, banks, and delivery companies, so a familiar logo proves nothing.
Step by step
- Do not click any link, open any attachment, or call any number in the email.
- Take a screenshot. On an iPhone with Face ID, press the side button and the volume-up button at the same time. On a computer, you can copy and paste the email text instead.
- Open your AI app and send the screenshot or the pasted text with the words below.
- Read the warning signs the AI lists, then decide what to do.
Copy these words
“Does anything about this email look suspicious? I have not clicked anything. List the warning signs you see and tell me what I should do next.”
Good follow-up questions
- "How can I check whether this company really contacted me, without using anything in the email?"
- "What would a real email from this company look like?"
- "I already clicked the link. What should I do right now?"
Before you trust the answer
AI can help you spot warning signs, but it cannot see where the email came from behind the scenes. When in doubt, contact the company yourself using the phone number on your card, your bill, or their official website. You can forward scam emails to reportphishing@apwg.org and report losses at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to send a scam email to AI?
Yes. A screenshot or pasted text cannot hurt you or the AI. The danger is clicking links or opening attachments in the original email.
What are the most common warning signs?
Pressure to act fast, a sender address that does not match the company, links that point to strange web addresses, requests for passwords or payment, and offers that sound too good to be true.
What if I already clicked the link?
Do not enter any information. Close the page. If you typed a password, change it right away on the real website. If you gave card details, call your bank using the number on your card.
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About the author: Nelson Lopatin
Nelson has worked on the internet since 1995 and runs US WebSites in the Rochester, NY area. He writes Easy AI for Seniors in plain English so adults 55 and older learn AI at their own pace.