A Facebook ad leads to a store with prices half off. A search result looks like your bank's website, but something feels off. Before you type a card number or a password, AI can help you check.
When this helps
Use this before you buy from a store you have never heard of, when a web address looks slightly misspelled, or when a site asks you to sign in after you clicked a link in an email or text.
Step by step
- Do not enter a password or card number yet.
- Copy the full web address from the bar at the top of your browser.
- Take a screenshot of the page if you want the AI to see it.
- Send both to your AI app with the words below.
Copy these words
“I am thinking about buying from this website: [paste the web address]. What warning signs should I look for, and how can I check whether this store is real before I pay?”
Fill in anything in [brackets] with your own details, then send.
Good follow-up questions
- "Is this web address spelled the same as the real company's?"
- "Where can I look up reviews of this store that the store does not control?"
- "What is the safest way to pay if I decide to buy?"
Before you trust the answer
AI cannot always tell whether a brand-new website is real, and scam stores open and close quickly. Paying by credit card generally gives you stronger dispute rights than a debit card, wire transfer, or gift card. For your bank or Medicare, type the address yourself or use your saved bookmark instead of a link.
Frequently asked questions
What are warning signs of a fake store?
Prices far below everyone else, a web address that misspells a brand name, no phone number or street address, and payment by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency only.
Does a padlock in the address bar mean the site is safe?
No. The padlock only means the connection is private. Scam sites use them too.
I already paid. What now?
Call your card company using the number on the back of your card and ask about disputing the charge. Report the site at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Get 5 more tasks like this, free
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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.