Christmas is a prime time for scams, and artificial intelligence (AI) is making it easier for scammers to deceive people. Americans lost $9.8 billion to phone scams in the past year. Scammers are using generative AI to create realistic-sounding calls and texts that appear legitimate. Red flags of scam texts, such as misspellings or poor grammar, are being replaced with messages that seem like they are from someone you know. To protect yourself, delete texts about delivery or account problems and go directly to the source. Hang up on anyone claiming to be from the IRS or offering prizes in contests you never entered. While people are getting better at recognizing scams, those who do fall victim lose an average of $700.
