Is This Text a Scam? Ask AI in 2 Minutes

Got a text saying your package is stuck, your bank account is locked, or you owe a toll? Before you tap anything, let a free AI tool take a second look.

New to AI? Start with AI Basics in Plain English.

Checking a suspicious email instead? See Is This Email a Scam? Ask AI in 2 Minutes.

Why it matters: in 2025, Americans aged 60 and over reported more than $7.7 billion in losses to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Phishing and spoofing messages were the most common complaint from older victims (FBI).

What you need

• The free ChatGPT or Google Gemini app on your phone or computer
• The suspicious message (don't tap any links in it)

Step by step

1. Don't tap, don't reply. Leave links and phone numbers in the message alone.
2. Copy the words, or take a screenshot. On most phones, press the side button and volume-up together.
3. Open the AI app and paste this:

   I'm over 60 and got this message. Is it likely a scam? List the warning signs in plain English, tell me what I should do next, and tell me how to contact the real company safely without using anything in the message.
   
   [paste the message here, or attach the screenshot]

4. Read the warning signs. Common ones are urgency, threats, unusual payment methods (gift cards, crypto, wire transfers), and links that don't match the real company.
5. Check for yourself. Call the number on the back of your card or on your own statement. Never call a number from the message.

Bonus prompt: phone calls and pop-ups

A caller (or a pop-up on my computer) said: [describe what they said]. They want me to [pay / call / give remote access]. Is this a known scam? What should I do right now?

Tech-support scams cost people 60+ about $1 billion in 2025 (IC3). A real company won't ask you to call a number from a pop-up.