Spotting scam emails
Scam emails pretend to be from someone you trust, your bank, Medicare, or Amazon, to steal your password or money. Here is what to look for before you click anything.
Red flags in the sender address
The address doesn't match the company name. "service@amaz0n-verify.com" is not Amazon. Always read the full address, not just the display name shown at the top of the email.
Numbers replacing letters. Scammers use "0" instead of "o" and "1" instead of "l" to slip past spam filters and fool the eye.
Long, strange web addresses. Real banks use short, clean addresses. "alerts@yourbank.secure-login-update.net" is fake.
Urgent or threatening language
"Your account will be closed in 24 hours." Scammers create panic so you act without thinking. Real institutions always give you time.
"You owe back taxes and will be arrested." The IRS does not email or call with threats of arrest. They contact you by postal mail only.
"You've won a prize, claim it now." If you didn't enter a contest, you didn't win one.
Suspicious links and attachments
Hover over links before clicking. On a computer, rest your mouse over the link without clicking. The real destination appears at the bottom of your screen. Check that it looks normal.
Unexpected attachments. Do not open .zip, .exe, or PDF files you weren't expecting, even from people you know. Their account may have been hacked.
Shortened links like bit.ly or tinyurl. These hide the real destination. Be very cautious. When in doubt, don't click.
Requests for personal info
Your bank will never ask for your full password or PIN by email. If an email asks for this, it is a scam.
Medicare and Social Security do not email you asking to "confirm" your number.
Gift card payments are always a scam. No legitimate company or government agency will ever ask you to pay a fee in gift cards.
Safe habits
When in doubt, go directly to the company's website by typing the address yourself. Never click links in the email.
Call the company at a number you look up yourself, not a number printed in the email.
Ask a trusted friend or family member before sending any money or sharing any personal information.
Spotting AI-generated content
Scammers now use AI to create realistic fake videos and photos of real people, including celebrities and news anchors, to spread lies or steal money. Here is how to spot them.
Visual tells in AI photos
Hands and fingers look wrong. Too many fingers, fused fingers, or oddly bent hands are one of the most common AI giveaways. Look closely.
Ears, teeth, and jewelry are distorted. Earrings may not match, teeth may look too perfect or blurred at the edges.
Background text is gibberish. Any writing visible in the background of an AI image is often unreadable or nonsensical.
Skin and lighting look too smooth. AI photos often have an unnaturally perfect, plastic-looking quality to skin.
Visual tells in AI videos
Lip sync is slightly off. The mouth movements don't quite match the words, especially on harder sounds like "p," "b," and "f."
The face seems to "swim" or shift. AI videos can flicker or have unnatural blending around the hairline and jaw.
Lighting doesn't match the background. The person may look lit from a different direction than the scene behind them.
Eyes may not blink naturally, or they look glassy and unfocused.
Platform watermarks to know
Sora (OpenAI)
Visible watermark in the bottom-right corner of generated videos. Also embeds invisible C2PA metadata. Some platforms show a "Content Credentials" badge in the top-left.
Veo / YouTube (Google)
Uses SynthID, an invisible watermark baked into the pixels. YouTube Shorts labels AI-generated clips with a small "Veo" badge in the bottom-left corner. One of the more reliable labeling systems.
Gemini (Google)
AI-generated images include an invisible SynthID watermark. When shared via Google products, a "Generated with AI" label may appear below the image.
Runway
Free-tier videos show a small "Runway" watermark in the bottom-right corner. Paid plans remove it entirely. No invisible watermark is consistently documented.
Kling AI
Free-tier videos show a "Kling AI" badge in the bottom-right corner. Paid plans remove it. Known for motion-smoothing visual artifacts that can help identify it even without a watermark.
Pika Labs
Free-tier videos include a "Pika" watermark in the lower corner. Paid plans remove it. Often identifiable by a characteristic cartoon-like motion blur on fast-moving elements.
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Important to remember
Paid subscriptions remove all visible watermarks on every platform above. A video with no watermark is not necessarily real. Always look for the visual tells: lip sync, hands, hairline, and background details.
Free detection tools
Google Reverse Image Search. drag any image into images.google.com to see where it has appeared before.
TinEye. checks if a photo is old or reused with a new caption. Visit tineye.com.
Content Credentials. checks if an image or video has a transparency label attached. Visit contentcredentials.org.
Common AI scam scenarios
Fake celebrity endorsements. A video of a celebrity recommending an investment or health product. Real celebrities do not do this in random social media clips.
Voice-cloned "grandchild in trouble" calls. If someone calls claiming to be a family member in danger, hang up and call them directly on the number you know.
Fake news anchors. AI videos of realistic anchors reporting false stories. Always check the actual station's website.
Checking if a headline is true
Before sharing any news story, especially one that feels shocking or makes you angry, take 60 seconds to check it. Here is how.
Reliable fact-checking sites
Snopes. the oldest and most trusted fact-checking site online, started in 1994. Great for viral rumors, chain emails, and urban legends. Always shows its sources. Visit snopes.com.
FactCheck.org. run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Non-partisan, well-documented. Has a dedicated section for viral chain emails and forwarded messages. Visit factcheck.org.
PolitiFact. rates the accuracy of political claims on its Truth-O-Meter. Pulitzer Prize-winning and non-partisan. Visit politifact.com.
AP Fact Check. the Associated Press's fact-checking desk. Strong for breaking news claims. Visit apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check.
The SIFT method 4 quick steps
S Stop. Pause before you share. Ask yourself: does this story feel designed to make me angry or scared?
I Investigate the source. Who published this? Is it a real news organization? Search the website name plus the word "bias" or "reliable."
F Find better coverage. Search the headline on Google. If it is real news, multiple reputable outlets will be reporting it.
T Trace the original context. Old photos and videos often get shared with new, false captions. Check whether the image is actually from the event described.
Warning signs of a fake story
The website URL looks like a real news site but is slightly off "abcnews.com.co" is not ABC News.
The story has no author name, no date, or no links to original sources.
The headline uses ALL CAPS or many exclamation points.
You can only find the story on one website no other outlets are covering it.
Quick tip for forwarded messages
Copy the most unusual sentence from the forwarded message and paste it into Google along with the word "snopes." You will almost always get an immediate answer.
FactCheck.org has a special page just for viral chain emails at factcheck.org/hot-topics.
Identifying scam text messages
Scam texts sometimes called "smishing" are one of the fastest-growing threats to seniors. They look like alerts from USPS, your bank, Medicare, or Amazon.
Most common scam text types
Package delivery scams. "Your USPS package could not be delivered. Click here to pay a $2.99 fee." USPS will never text you asking for a payment link to deliver a package.
Bank fraud alerts. "Suspicious activity on your account verify now." Your bank may send real alerts, but they will never ask you to click a link and enter your password.
Medicare and Social Security alerts. "Your benefits will be suspended unless you call immediately." These agencies do not text you.
Prize and lottery texts. "You have been selected for a $1,000 gift card." You didn't enter. It is fake.
Wrong-number "romance" openers. A text that seems accidentally sent to you "Hey, is this Alex?" can be the start of a long-running romance or investment scam.
Red flags in any text
An unusual sender number a random cell number, or a label like "ALERT" or "NOTIFY."
A link is included. Never click links in unexpected texts.
Asked to reply with a code, SSN, or account number. Legitimate companies never ask for this over text.
Urgency language "within 24 hours," "today only," "final notice."
What to do
Do not reply even "STOP" can confirm your number is active to scammers.
Block the number on your phone immediately.
Forward to 7726 (SPAM) works on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Your carrier will ask for the sender's number.
If worried it might be real, look up the company's customer service number yourself and call them directly.
Scam phone calls
Phone scams are one of the most common ways seniors lose money. Scammers call pretending to be the IRS, Social Security, Medicare, your bank, or even a grandchild in trouble. Here is what to listen for and how to protect yourself.
Most common scam call types
The IRS arrest threat. A caller claims you owe back taxes and will be arrested unless you pay immediately. The IRS does not call with threats of arrest. They contact you by postal mail first, always.
The Social Security suspension. "Your Social Security number has been suspended due to suspicious activity." Social Security will never call to suspend your number or demand immediate payment.
The grandchild emergency. Someone calls claiming to be your grandchild, or a lawyer or police officer representing them, saying they are in jail or in an accident and need money wired right away. Hang up and call your grandchild directly on the number you know.
The Medicare card scam. A caller says your Medicare card needs to be updated and asks you to confirm your Medicare number. Medicare will not call you asking for your number unprompted.
The utility shutoff threat. "Your electricity will be cut off in two hours unless you pay now by gift card." Utility companies do not demand immediate gift card payment over the phone.
The tech support call. "This is Microsoft. We have detected a virus on your computer." Microsoft, Apple, and Google do not call you out of the blue about your device.
Red flags in any suspicious call
Pressure to act immediately. Any caller who says you must decide right now, stay on the line, or not tell anyone is using a manipulation tactic. Legitimate organizations give you time.
Requests for gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. No government agency, utility, or legitimate business will ever ask you to pay in gift cards, wire money to a stranger, or send cryptocurrency. Ever.
The caller knows your name and some personal details. Scammers buy data lists. Knowing your name does not mean the call is legitimate.
The number looks local or official. Caller ID can be faked, a trick called "spoofing." A call appearing to come from the IRS, your bank, or even a neighbor's number can be completely fraudulent.
They ask you to keep the call secret. Any request not to tell your family, your bank, or anyone else is a major warning sign. Legitimate callers never ask for secrecy.
What to do
Hang up. You do not owe a stranger on the phone an explanation or a polite goodbye. Hanging up is always the right move when something feels wrong.
Call back on a number you look up yourself. If the caller claims to be your bank, hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Never call back a number the caller gives you.
Talk to a trusted person first. A real emergency will still be a real emergency after you take five minutes to call a family member or friend.
Register at the Do Not Call Registry. It will not stop scammers entirely, but it reduces legitimate telemarketing calls that scammers hide among. Visit donotcall.gov.
Real numbers for government agencies
Social Security Administration: 1-800-772-1213 or ssa.gov
IRS: 1-800-829-1040 or irs.gov
Medicare: 1-800-633-4227 or medicare.gov
None of these agencies will ever demand immediate payment, ask for gift cards, or threaten arrest over the phone.
How to report scams
Reporting scams protects others in your community and helps authorities track down criminals. Here is exactly where to go.
Reporting scam emails
FTC Federal Trade Commission (primary US resource)
The main government agency for fraud. Filing a report takes about 5 minutes and helps the FTC track criminal patterns nationwide.
reportfraud.ftc.gov
IC3 FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
For more serious fraud, or if you have sent money. The FBI monitors IC3 reports to track and investigate criminal networks.
ic3.gov
Your email provider's built-in reporting
Gmail: open the email, click the three dots (⋮), select "Report phishing." Outlook: use the "Report" button in the toolbar. Apple Mail: forward to reportphishing@apple.com.
CISA Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
For government impersonation or scams involving critical services like utilities or infrastructure.
cisa.gov/report
Reporting scam texts
Forward to 7726 (SPAM)
Works on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and most US carriers. Forward the suspicious text to 7726. Your carrier will respond asking for the sender's number.
FTC text scam reporting
reportfraud.ftc.gov
Medicare & Social Security fraud
HHS Office of Inspector General
For Medicare fraud or scammers impersonating Medicare.
oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud
Social Security OIG
oig.ssa.gov/report
If you have already sent money or shared info
Contact your bank immediately
Call the number on the back of your card. If you wired money, call within 24–48 hours there is sometimes a window to reverse the transaction.
AARP Fraud Helpline free, open to everyone
Free call, open to all (not just AARP members). Fraud specialists who can help you figure out next steps.
1-877-908-3360
Eldercare Locator
Connects older adults with local support services, including fraud recovery assistance.
1-800-677-1116
Quick quiz
Test what you have learned. Tap the answer you think is correct you will get an explanation right away. Questions appear in a different order each time.