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AI-generated scam signs
Messages may be unusually polished, oddly generic, or packed with emotional pressure. Watch for a sudden request to change payment details, share a code, buy gift cards, or move a conversation off the usual channel.
AI SAFETY & SCAM CENTER
Use AI with curiosity—not your guard down.
AI can make scams sound more polished, voices more believable, and fake images more convincing. This practical field guide helps you slow down, verify, and keep sensitive information out of the wrong airlock.
Scam radar
How to spot AI-powered scams.
A convincing message is not the same as a trustworthy message. Treat unexpected requests as unverified until you confirm them through a known, separate channel.
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Deepfake warning signs
Audio or video can feel “almost right” while still being fake. Do not rely on a voice or face alone for financial, legal, urgent, or sensitive requests. Call a known number or use a pre-agreed verification phrase.
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Verify out of band
Do not reply to the suspicious email, text, or call. Instead, independently find the official number, website, or contact and verify the request there.
Everyday safeguards
Safe prompting and privacy basics.
01
Use placeholders
Replace real names, account numbers, addresses, customer details, and internal project names with neutral placeholders whenever possible.
02
Assume public tools are not private by default
Read the tool and organization policies before you paste anything sensitive. Use business-approved accounts and settings for work data.
03
Keep humans accountable
Review AI output before it is sent, published, used for a decision, or entered into a system of record. AI should assist judgment—not quietly replace it.
Personal checklist
Never paste this into a public AI tool.
- Passwords, authentication codes, recovery codes, or secret keys
- Bank, credit-card, Social Security, tax, medical, or insurance information
- Private legal documents, contracts, or confidential business plans
- Customer records, employee records, or non-public company information
- Anything you would not be comfortable seeing on a public billboard
When in doubt, remove identifying details and ask the AI to work with a fictionalized example.
Business checklist
Vet an AI tool before your team uses it.
- Who owns the input and output data?
- Can your data be used to train the provider’s models?
- Can you control access, accounts, and data retention?
- Does it integrate with systems that hold customer or company data?
- Who reviews output before it reaches customers or makes a decision?
- Is there a small pilot and a rollback plan?
For regulated or high-stakes work, involve the right privacy, legal, security, or compliance people before rollout.
One simple habit
Stop. Separate. Verify.
When a request feels urgent or unusual, do not click, pay, send, or share. Verify it using a known channel that the requester did not provide.
AI Safety by Scenario
Know the safe lane before you hit the warp drive.
Work data
- Safe: public drafts and generic templates.
- Risky: internal strategy or customer details.
- Never: passwords, secrets, regulated data.
Medical questions
- Safe: prep questions for your doctor.
- Risky: self-diagnosis from symptoms.
- Never: replacing professional care.
Legal/financial
- Safe: plain-English explanations.
- Risky: acting on unverified advice.
- Never: filing or signing based only on AI.
Customer info
- Safe: anonymized examples.
- Risky: identifiable records.
- Never: exposing private data to unapproved tools.
Students/kids
- Safe: tutoring and practice quizzes.
- Risky: doing the assignment for them.
- Never: sharing child personal details.
Quick checkpoint
Which prompt is safer?
Choose an answer to test your safety reflex.
Helpful answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Fast answers for visitors and search engines—because even crawlers appreciate a clean briefing deck.
What is the safest way to start using AI?
Start with low-risk tasks, avoid private data, verify important answers, and keep a human reviewer in the loop.
Can AI hallucinate?
Yes. AI can produce confident but wrong answers, so important facts should be checked against reliable sources.
What are common AI risks?
Common risks include scams, fake images or audio, privacy leaks, poor source checking, over-automation, and blind trust in generated content.
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