[HOWTO] Defend Against AI-Powered Scams

The New Era of AI-Powered Scams

AI is reshaping how cybercriminals target victims. Let's take a look at some of the techniques being used, as well as how to recognize and defend against them.

Deepfake Impersonation: Scammers now use AI to create convincing counterfeit audio and video messages that mimic family members, colleagues, government officials, or trusted brands.

One notable case in 2024 involved a finance clerk who was duped by a fake multi-person video call. A deepfake recreation of the company's chief financial officer and other staff members persuaded him to send $25 million to fradsters.

Voice Cloning and Chatbots: Criminals clone voices or deploy chatbots to carry out highly personal phone or text phishing attacks. The requests appear authentic, making it harder than ever to spot a fraudulent message.

In a recent high-profile incident, scammers used artificial intelligence to convincingly impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Using advanced voice-cloning tools, the attackers created deepfake audio recordings and text messages that mimicked Rubio’s voice and communication style. Using a Signal account with the deceptive display name “marco.rubio@state.gov,” they contacted at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress. The AI-generated voicemails and messages were apparently designed to extract sensitive government information or gain access to confidential accounts. The episode highlights just how easily AI voice synthesis (requiring only a few seconds of public speech samples) can be weaponized to target even the highest levels of government.

AI-Enhanced Social Media Bots: Automated accounts, boosted by AI, replicate real users. These bots engage you in believable conversations—sometimes over weeks—to harvest data or trick you into clicking malicious links.

Kathy Stokes, Director of Fraud Prevention Programs for the AARP Fraud Watch Network says “We’re entering an ‘industrial revolution for fraud criminals.’ AI opens endless possibilities, and unfortunately, endless victims…”

How to Avoid AI-Driven Scams

As far back as the late 1700s, it was clear that "the price of liberty is eternal vigilance." To stay safe online today, you must first be skeptical, verify everything. Don’t automatically trust ANY message, video, or call—especially if it involves urgent requests for money or sensitive information, even from people you know. If you get an unusual request, use a separate, verified contact method to confirm its legitimacy.

Here are some of the "red flags" for online scams:

• Urgency and secrecy: Scammers pressure you to act fast and keep things confidential.


• Odd payment methods: Demands for gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto are red flags.


• Unusual requests or language: Changes in how someone normally communicates can signal imposters.

How to Handle Deepfakes Like a Detective

Sadly, you can no longer believe your eyes and ears, when it comes to digital media. Scrutinize audio and video for unnatural pauses or glitches. Look for strange facial movements, unnatural blinking, or distorted backgrounds around faces or objects. Pay close attention to out-of-sync mismatches between spoken words and lip movements.

Authentic audio typically has consistent environmental or background sounds. Deepfake voices often lack ambient background noise or have glitches when the speaker’s tone shifts.

Ask yourself if the content’s timing, delivery, or context make sense, or is it designed to provoke urgency or alarm? Scammers often use emotional manipulation in deepfakes. When interacting, ask questions only the real person would know in a private way.

Be On Guard for Phishing Attacks

Even the best spam filters can be fooled. Review each suspicious email carefully—look for tiny misspellings in sender addresses, hovering over links before clicking, and be cautious with unexpected attachments.

Some phishing attacks come by phone, text, or a combination of those methods. Recently I got a phone call from a person claiming to be from Airbnb. He said the company was "updating the portal" and asked me to read back a six digit code that was texted to me. I had forgotten that this was one method that scammers use to bypass the 2FA (two-factor authentication) login protection. With that code, the scammer was able to login to my account and change the bank account information. I was hacked! Fortunately, I was suspicious enough to poke into my account settings, undo the changes, and reset my password.

Watch for Social Engineering

Be careful not to overshare on Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok. Sharing your everyday moments online may seem harmless, but every detail can be a goldmine for scammers. Cybercriminals routinely comb through public posts, stories, and photos, piecing together bits of personal information to craft brutally convincing attacks. Be wary of friend requests or messages from unknown profiles, even if they reference mutual contacts.

Scammers sift social media for clues, such as full names, birth dates, and home addresses. Photos and videos with identifiable backgrounds such as street signs or landmarks can give away your location. Avoid posting details about your daily routines, family, friends, pets, and upcoming travel plans.

Think twice before sharing your workplace job titles, information about schools your kids attend. Even posts about anniversaries, new cars, hobbies, or recent purchases, seemingly irrelevant on their own, can be assembled through the “mosaic effect.” Once combined, they give criminals everything they need to steal your identity, guess your passwords, answer security questions, or launch highly targeted phishing scams.

Protecting Your Identity: Practical Steps

Protecting your identity in 2025 requires vigilance on multiple fronts.

• Use strong, unique passwords for every account—a combination of upper/lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Consider a reputable password manager. Change passwords every 3–6 months and after any breach.


• Enable 2FA wherever possible, using an authenticator app rather than SMS codes. 2FA makes it far harder for a hacker or impersonator to access your accounts, even if they have your password.


• Keep all software—especially browsers, antivirus, and operating systems—up to date.


• Shred sensitive paper documents before disposing of them. Switch to paperless statements where possible and check mailboxes regularly.


• Review and tighten privacy settings on social media platforms.


• Use privacy checkup tools on platforms like Facebook, Google, and Apple devices to manage who can see your posts and personal info.


• Disable location tracking for apps that don’t need it, and periodically clear your device’s browsing and app histories.


• Limit data sharing with AI tools. Understand exactly what data is being shared if you use AI-driven assistants or apps. Opt out of unnecessary data collection, and read data policies before installing new apps or software.

Some Final Thoughts for Safety in the Age of AI

Staying safe today means continual education, healthy skepticism, and diligent privacy habits. Tech-savvy thieves will keep innovating, but you can protect yourself by “trusting, but verifying” -- and empowering yourself with knowledge from trusted sources like Ask Bob Rankin!

You can also make the Internet a safer place by forwarding this article to friends and family. Post your comments or questions below.UL