Your grandkid's voice asking for emergency money might not be your grandkid

What happened

UK shoppers are being warned that criminals are using AI to supercharge scams. For the first time, the UK's National Trading Standards has drawn up an AI scam watchlist. It flags polished fake shop websites made fast and cheap, fake videos and copied voices posing as family or friends who need emergency money, and scam messages with no spelling mistakes. Consumer group Which? says typos can no longer be relied on to spot scams.

What's actually going on

Scams aren't new. What's changed is how cheap it is to make them look real. AI tools can write smooth messages, create realistic photos, and copy a person's voice from recordings of them talking. Because AI does this work fast, the new watchlist says scammers can produce error-free, personalised emails, texts and social posts on a huge scale.

Some fake shops claim to be family-owned firms selling UK-made goods, sometimes with AI pictures of a British High Street and Union Jack flags. If you order, trading standards officers say, you're likely to get nothing or a cheap, mass-produced item from a country such as China. In romance scams, AI remembers a victim's personal details so the chat can run for weeks or months. Others use deepfakes, which are fake AI videos, or cloned voices that copy a real person, to pose as a relative or friend in an "emergency."

That's why, the BBC says, some old tips may now work less well. Which? says typos can no longer be relied on. Trading standards warn against trusting someone just because you've heard their voice or seen them on a video call. Their advice leans on checks outside the message: see if a shop's address is real, contact a business directly to confirm a job ad, and never send money, gift cards or personal details to someone you haven't met in person. Be extra wary of pressure to act fast. Criminals want you to act before you have time to think.

In your life

My take: this is probably most useful for the family emergency call. If a relative calls or video calls asking for money fast, hang up and call them back on the number you already have. Worth sharing with your parents and kids.

Be careful about

Even careful people get fooled, because the voice or face can seem right. And this advice and the helplines are built for the UK, so the phone numbers are for people there.

Where to get it

There's nothing to buy. All of this is free. In the UK, report fraud to Report Fraud or call 0300 1232040. For advice, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. Small first step: before ordering from a shop you don't know, check that its address is real.