Something arrived. A text message. An email. A phone call. A letter.
It might be completely legitimate. Or something about it feels slightly off. You can’t quite say why. Maybe it’s the urgency. Maybe it’s the wording. Maybe it’s just a feeling.
And you’re not sure whether to respond — or whether responding is exactly what you shouldn’t do.
That moment of uncertainty is exactly where AI helps. You don’t need to be an expert. Just describe what you received and ask the right questions.
What this is
A simple way to use AI to check whether something is legitimate — before you click, call, pay, or reply.
The simple rule
When something feels off, pause. Don’t click. Don’t call the number in the message. Don’t pay anything. Describe it to AI first. Then decide.
The scam that is devastating families right now
This one deserves its own section. Because it’s not a stranger asking for money. It’s a message that appears to be from your child.
It arrives by text — sometimes by email — and says something like: “Mum it’s me. I’m in trouble. I’ve lost my phone and I’m using a friend’s. I need money urgently. Please don’t call Dad yet — I’ll explain everything later. Can you send $[amount] by e-transfer?”
It feels real because it sounds like them. It feels urgent because they say it is. It feels private because they ask you not to tell anyone. And so you send the money — because that’s what you do when your child needs help.
Someone we know lost everything in her account to this scam. She received exactly this message. She sent the money. Then, because she had responded, the scammers had enough information to access her account. They drained it.
She is not careless. She is not naive. She is a mother who thought her child needed help.
The rule is this: before you send any money — no matter who it appears to be from — call that person directly on a number you already have. Not the number in the message. The number already in your phone. Thirty seconds. One phone call. That is all that stands between you and losing everything.
A family safe word — set this up today
Pick a word with your family — something ordinary but specific, something nobody outside the family would guess. If anyone ever calls or messages claiming to be a family member in an emergency, you ask for the word. If they can’t give it, you stop.
This takes five minutes to set up. Have the conversation tonight. Pick a word. Tell everyone in your family what it is and why it exists.
Try this
Open ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI tool and paste this:
“I received a [text / email / letter / phone call] and I want to check if it’s legitimate before I do anything. Here’s what it said: [describe it — or paste the text, removing any personal details first]. Does anything here sound like a scam? What are the warning signs, if any? What should I do — and what should I definitely not do?”
What you’ll actually get back
Someone received a text message that said: “Your bank account has been temporarily suspended due to unusual activity. Click here to verify your identity and restore access: [link]”
They described it to AI and asked if it looked legitimate. What came back: banks do not send texts asking you to click a link, urgency plus links are classic pressure tactics, real banks ask you to call them directly, do not click the link, contact your bank using official details.
They called their bank directly. It was a scam. Nothing happened — because they paused before clicking.
Warning signs to ask about
When you describe something to AI, ask it to check for urgency, requests for personal information, links and phone numbers in the message, offers that seem too good to be true, unusual senders, and pressure or fear tactics.
The most important thing
Legitimate organisations will never pressure you to act immediately, ask for your password or PIN, ask you to move money to “keep it safe,” send login links, or threaten legal action by text or email. If any of those are happening — it’s a scam.
If you receive a phone call
Hang up. Then call back using a number you find yourself. No legitimate organisation will penalise you for doing this.
Important note
Use AI as a first check — not a final authority. Always verify independently for anything involving money or personal information. When in doubt, do nothing and check.
What to read next
How to Use AI Safely Without Overthinking It
How to Use AI to Understand a Government Letter or Form
How to Use AI When You Don’t Know What a Contract Says
Or visit the Decision Hub