Kitchen Table AI

Scam Watch

AI makes old scams more convincing. Here are the ones we see most, what they look like, and exactly what to do. Updated October 2026.

Why this matters: In its 2025 Internet Crime Report, the FBI said Americans 60 and older reported about $7.7 billion in losses in 2025, up 59% from the year before. Complaints from people 60 and older rose 37%. Across all ages, the report counted more than $893 million in losses tied to AI. (FBI IC3 2025 report, PDF)
The golden rule: Anyone who rushes you, asks you to keep a secret, or wants payment by gift card, wire, crypto, or cash courier is a scammer. Hang up and call someone you trust.

Voice-clone family emergency calls

What it looks like

A call that sounds exactly like a grandchild or other relative in trouble: an accident, an arrest, a hospital. They need money fast and beg you not to tell anyone. A fake lawyer or officer may join the call.

What to do

  • Hang up and call your relative on the number saved in your phone.
  • Use a family safe word that only you know.
  • Never pay with gift cards, wire transfers, digital money like Bitcoin, or cash handed to a courier.

Read our full step-by-step guide

Sources: FTC, FCC

Deepfake celebrity investment ads

What it looks like

A video on Facebook, YouTube, or a news-looking site where a famous person or TV host recommends a new website or app that uses "AI" to invest your money, or a digital money deal like Bitcoin, and promises you cannot lose. The video is fake, made with AI.

What to do

  • Real celebrities do not sell secret investment platforms in ads. Assume it is fake.
  • Search the company name plus the word "scam" before you do anything.
  • Never install an app someone tells you to install so they can "help" with your account.

Sources: FTC, SEC Investor.gov

Fake tech support and "your computer is infected" alerts

What it looks like

A loud pop-up, call, or chat window that says your computer or bank account has a problem and you must call a number now. Scammers now use AI chatbots and realistic voices to sound like Microsoft, Apple, or your bank.

What to do

  • Real tech companies do not call, email, or text you to say there is a problem with your computer.
  • Never let a stranger control your computer from far away, and never install a program a caller tells you to install.
  • Close the browser. If it will not close, restart the computer. Call your bank only on the number on the back of your card.

Sources: FTC, AARP

Deepfake officials and fake "get your money back" sites

What it looks like

AI-made videos of government or FBI leaders on social media pointing you to a website that promises to recover money you lost to an earlier scam. The website copies the look of a real government site and asks for your details.

What to do

  • Government agencies do not charge you to recover lost money.
  • Type the real address yourself: ic3.gov for the FBI and ReportFraud.ftc.gov for the FTC.
  • People 60 and older can get free help from the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline: 1-833-372-8311.

Sources: FBI IC3 (July 2026)

AI-powered romance and friendship scams

What it looks like

A friendly stranger online with perfect photos who writes beautifully and quickly becomes very close. They may even video chat using AI to fake their face. Eventually there is an emergency, a medical bill, or a "can't miss" investment.

What to do

  • Never send money or gift cards to someone you have only met online.
  • Talk to a friend or family member about any online relationship that involves money.
  • Ask a family member to check if their photos show up online under a different name. If they do, it is a scam.

Sources: FBI IC3, FTC

Polished phishing texts and emails

What it looks like

Messages about a package, a toll you owe, a locked account, or a refund. AI lets scammers write with perfect spelling and grammar, so the old "look for typos" advice no longer works.

What to do

  • Do not tap links in unexpected messages. Go to the company's website or app yourself.
  • Never share a one-time code that was texted to you. No real company will ask for it.
  • Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and then delete them.

Sources: FBI IC3, AARP, FTC: Report spam texts to 7726, FCC: Stop unwanted robocalls and texts

If it already happened

  1. Call your bank or card company right away using the number on your card.
  2. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, if money was lost online, at ic3.gov.
  3. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for free, kind help. People 60 and older can also call the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
  4. Tell a family member. Scammers count on embarrassment. It is not your fault.

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