The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report was the first to include a section on AI, and it linked AI-related scams to 22,364 complaints and nearly $893 million in reported losses. Scam messages now read well. A second opinion takes one minute: show the message to AI and ask what looks wrong.
When this helps
Use this for a text about a package or an unpaid toll, a message from a "bank" or "government office" that asks you to call, click, or send a code, or a letter in the mailbox that demands payment. Email has its own post, linked below.
Step by step
- Do not reply, do not click any link, and do not call any number in the message.
- For a text message, take a screenshot. It is clearer than photographing the phone screen. On an iPhone, press the side button and the volume-up button at the same time. For a printed letter, take a clear picture of each page.
- Send the picture to your AI app with the words below.
- Read the warning signs the AI lists. Then contact the company yourself, using the number on your card, your bill, or their real website.
Copy these words
“I received this message and I have not replied, clicked, or called. List anything that looks suspicious, and tell me what you cannot check from the picture. Then tell me my options. Do not do anything for me.”
Good follow-up questions
- "Don't do anything. Tell me my options first."
- "How can I check whether this is real without using anything in the message?"
- "What would a real message from this company look like?"
- "I already replied. What should I do right now?"
Before you trust the answer
AI can point out warning signs such as pressure to act fast, payment by gift card or wire, and links that do not match the company. It cannot tell you where the message really came from. Never assume a message is safe because the AI did not find a problem. Verify with the real company yourself.
Before you share it
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to show a scam letter or text to AI?
Yes. A picture of a message cannot harm you or the AI. The danger is replying, clicking links, or calling the number in the message.
Can AI tell for certain whether a message is a scam?
No. It can list warning signs and tell you what it cannot check. Confirm with the real company using a number you already trust.
What if I already sent money or information?
Call your bank right away using the number on your card, and report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Acting quickly gives you the best chance of limiting the damage.
Get 5 more tasks like this, free
The free guide 5 Everyday Things AI Can Help You With gives you one task per page in large print, with the exact words to copy and a list of what to never give AI.
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.