cogloom · Free lesson

Perfect spelling no longer means a message is safe: AI-written scam texts and emails

The old tip is out of date. For years people were told to look for bad spelling and clumsy grammar to spot a scam. The FBI now warns that criminals use AI to write their messages, including translating them "to limit grammatical or spelling errors." AI tools "can correct for human errors that might otherwise serve as warning signs of fraud."

So judge the request, not the writing. The FTC's test is two questions: 1. Do I actually have an account with this company, or know this person? If not, it's likely a scam. 2. Even if I do: real companies "won't unexpectedly email or text with a link to update your payment or account information."

Your safe moves (from the FTC): - Don't click links or open attachments in messages you weren't expecting. - Contact the company yourself, using a phone number or website you already know is real, not the one in the message. - Turn on two-factor authentication, so a stolen password alone isn't enough. - Report it: forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then delete the message.

Do this now: pick one account that matters, such as email or bank, and turn on two-factor authentication today.

Sources

FBI IC3 PSA I-120324-PSA, Dec 3, 2024: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203
FTC Consumer Alert, "Phishing scams can be hard to spot," Dec 11, 2024: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/12/phishing-scams-can-be-hard-spot
FTC Consumer Alert, "Don't take the bait on phishing scams," Sep 2024: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/09/dont-take-bait-phishing-scams
FTC Consumer Alert, "Protect yourself from phishing scams," Jun 4, 2025: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/04/protect-yourself-phishing-scams

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