← Back to all posts Staying safe

Spot the scam — how to use AI as your second pair of eyes

Scams have become very good at looking real. The bank logo is perfect. The wording sounds official. The text arrives at the exact moment you happen to be expecting a parcel. Falling for one does not mean you were careless — it means the people behind it spent a great deal of effort making it convincing.

Here is the good news. You now have a quiet, patient helper that will look at any suspicious message with you, tell you what it spots, and never make you feel foolish for asking. That helper is a free AI tool — ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini will all do it. Think of it as a sensible friend who happens to be awake at all hours and has seen every scam going.

You are not the problem

Before we go any further, I want to say this clearly. Nobody falls for scams because they are stupid. People fall for scams because fraudsters are clever, persistent, and very good at their job. They know exactly when to strike, what language to use, and how to make something fake look completely genuine. The right response to a scam is not embarrassment — it is action. And the best action, before anything else, is to pause and check.

The simple three-step approach

When something arrives that does not feel quite right — a text, an email, a phone call — you no longer have to decide on your own. Here is all you need to do.

Open a free AI tool in your web browser. ChatGPT at chatgpt.com, Microsoft Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com, or Google Gemini at gemini.google.com will all work perfectly. Then type out — or paste in — what the message said. You can also describe a phone call in your own words. Finally, ask it plainly: "Does this look like a scam?" That is the whole technique.

Four scams that catch people out — and what to ask

Here are four of the most common ones, with the exact question you could type to your AI helper.

The missed parcel

A text arrives saying a delivery could not be completed and a small fee — often just £1.45 — is needed to rearrange it. There is a link to tap. If you happen to be expecting something, it feels entirely plausible. The giveaway is that a real courier never charges you a tiny fee through a random link. That small amount is simply bait to capture your card details. Ask your AI helper: "I received a text saying my parcel needs a £1.45 fee to be redelivered, with a link to pay. Is this likely to be a scam, and what should I do?"

The bank that phones you

The phone rings. A calm, professional voice says they are from your bank's fraud team. There has been suspicious activity on your account, and to keep your money safe you need to move it to a "secure account" straight away. The giveaway: a genuine bank will never ask you to move money to another account, and never rushes you. Urgency is the weapon. Ask your AI helper: "Someone phoned saying they were my bank's fraud team and told me to move my money to a safe account. Is this how a real bank behaves?"

The surprise tax refund

An email, apparently from HMRC, says you are owed a refund — often a very specific amount like £312.60. You only need to confirm your bank details through the link to claim it. The logo and wording look convincing. The giveaway: HMRC does not announce refunds by email or text, and never asks for bank details that way. A windfall you were not expecting is a classic hook. Ask your AI helper: "I have an email saying HMRC owes me a tax refund and I should enter my bank details on a website. Does HMRC really contact people this way?"

The renewal you did not order

An email arrives saying a subscription — often for antivirus software — will renew today for an eye-watering sum, perhaps £299.99. If you did not authorise it, the email says, ring the number immediately to cancel. The giveaway: the alarming price is designed to panic you into ringing. The number leads straight to the scammer, who will then ask for remote access to your computer — and that is when the real damage begins. Ask your AI helper: "I received an email saying a subscription I do not remember is about to charge me £299.99, with a number to call to cancel. Is this a known scam?"

Questions you can use word for word

You do not need clever wording — plain English works beautifully. Here are a few ready-made questions you can simply paste into any AI tool alongside whatever message you have received.

"Here is a message I received. Please tell me whether it looks like a scam, and explain what made you think so."

"Is this email pretending to be from a company I trust? What signs should I look for?"

"Someone has asked me to do this on the phone. Is that a normal, safe request, or a warning sign?"

"I am not sure if this website is genuine. What should I check before I type anything into it?"

Five golden rules to keep alongside AI

AI is a wonderful second opinion, but it works best alongside these good habits. Slow down — anything urging you to act right now deserves more suspicion, not less. Scammers rely on panic. Never tap links in unexpected messages; if you want to reach your bank, type their address yourself or use the number on the back of your card. No genuine bank will ever move your money for you or ask for a one-time passcode. If in doubt, hang up and check — wait five minutes, then ring the official number. A real caller will not mind at all. And talk to someone — a quick word with a friend, a family member, or your AI helper turns a private worry into a shared, solvable one.

If you think you have already been caught

You are far from alone, and acting quickly really does help. Contact your bank straight away using the number on the back of your card. Then report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. There is absolutely no shame in it — only sensible next steps, and the sooner the better.