Savvy Senior: Avoiding scams in the age of AI

Dear Savvy Senior: I support proceeding astir AI successful the quality and however it’s being utilized successful scams. I’m not precise tech savvy and find it confusing. What should I cognize to support myself? — Cautious Senior

Dear Cautious Senior: You’re not alone. Many older adults are asking the aforesaid question. Artificial intelligence, oregon AI, is becoming portion of mundane life, from smartphones and net searches to banking and lawsuit service. It’s besides making scams much convincing and harder to spot, which is wherefore a basal knowing helps. The bully quality is you don’t request to beryllium a tech adept to usage AI safely and with confidence.

Know the basics

AI is exertion that tin make and analyse accusation successful ways that look human. It tin constitute emails, reply questions, urge products, make images and adjacent mimic voices. While this tin beryllium helpful, it besides means things you spot oregon perceive online whitethorn not ever beryllium accurate. If thing seems antithetic oregon excessively bully to beryllium true, instrumentality a person look.

Use it wisely

A bully mode to get comfy with AI is to commencement small. Many smartphones see dependable assistants similar Siri oregon Google Assistant that tin acceptable reminders, cheque the upwind oregon reply questions. You tin besides effort tools similar ChatGPT oregon Claude to explicate a quality story, suggest recipes oregon assistance draught a message.

AI tin besides beryllium utile for mundane tasks similar comparing products, readying trips oregon organizing a to-do list. Think of it arsenic a adjuvant assistant, not a decision-maker.

Keep successful caput that AI isn’t perfect. It tin springiness answers that dependable assured but whitethorn beryllium outdated oregon incorrect. For important matters similar your health, finances oregon ineligible issues, ever double-check with a trusted root specified arsenic your doctor, slope oregon a authorities website.

Watch for scams

Scammers are utilizing AI to marque their schemes much convincing. You whitethorn person an email that appears to beryllium from your slope oregon Medicare oregon a telephone telephone that sounds similar a household member. Be wary of urgent messages that unit you to enactment rapidly oregon pass that your relationship volition beryllium closed.

Protect yourself

The astir important wont for avoiding scams is to dilatory down. If you person a suspicious call, substance oregon email, halt and measure the message. Don’t click links, download attachments oregon respond close away. Instead, interaction the institution oregon idiosyncratic straight utilizing a telephone fig oregon website you spot — not the 1 provided successful the message.

Scammers present usage AI to mimic voices and constitute convincing messages. Even if thing sounds similar it’s from a household member, person oregon company, verify it different mode earlier taking action.

Never stock delicate accusation similar your Social Security number, slope details oregon passwords unless you initiated the interaction and spot the source. Banks and authorities agencies, including Medicare and Social Security, volition not inquire for this accusation by telephone oregon email. Urgent requests for outgo by acquisition card, ligament transportation oregon cryptocurrency are besides reddish flags.

For added protection, usage two-factor authentication, and support your devices updated. You tin adjacent see call-blocking services from your mobile work provider.

If thing doesn’t look right, instrumentality clip to cheque it oregon inquire a trusted person oregon household subordinate earlier responding.

Keep learning

Technology is ever changing, but determination are ways to enactment informed. Many libraries and elder centers connection escaped classes connected integer skills and online safety. Trusted resources similar AARP’s Fraud Watch Network (aarp.org/fraudwatch) and the Federal Trade Commission (consumer.ftc.gov) besides supply up-to-date scam alerts and extortion tips. In addition, net and mobile supplier Cox Mobile (cox.com/mobilesafety) offers a room of research, tips and online information tools to support you informed and unafraid online.

AI whitethorn look analyzable astatine first, but a small consciousness goes a agelong way. By staying cautious and gathering a fewer astute habits, you tin support yourself and marque this exertion enactment for you.

Send your elder questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, oregon sojourn SavvySenior.org.