Course › Module 3: Staying safe › Lesson 8 of 24

Spotting a fake voice or photo

Voices can be copied from a short clip and photos can be made from nothing. Watch for urgency and secrecy, and verify another way.

Key points

Red flags: a rush, a secret, or a request to pay with gift cards, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency (digital money).
Fakes are getting good, so do not rely on spotting glitches.
Stop, hang up, call back on the number you know.
Already sent money? Call your bank right away, then report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Scammers can now use AI to copy a person's voice from just a short clip, and to make photos and videos of things that never happened.

So watch for the red flags: someone rushing you, asking you to keep it a secret, or calling from a new number.

Be extra careful if they want gift cards, a wire transfer, or crypto. Real banks and government offices don't ask you to pay that way.

In pictures, look for odd hands, writing that doesn't read right, or skin that looks too perfect.

But fakes keep getting better, so you can't always tell just by looking or listening.

The safest test is to check another way. Stop, hang up, and call back on the number you already know.

Next: setting a family code word.

List the most common red flags of a scam call, in plain words.

Write a short, calm script I can use to say no to a pushy caller and hang up.