Synthetic images, voices and documents are getting cheaper to make and harder to catch — and the strongest defence isn't a tool, it's a habit. These six steps work on anything that feels off, even when the detectors can't keep up.
Urgency is the oldest trick — “act now or lose out” is built to switch off your judgement. Real news, real debts and real emergencies all survive a few minutes of checking.
In real life: A message says your account closes in ten minutes unless you confirm. The countdown itself is the scam.
Fear, excitement, flattery and shame are the levers fraud pulls. When something makes you feel a lot, treat that as the signal to slow down more — not less.
In real life: “You’ve won!” or “You’re in trouble!” — a strong jolt of emotion is there to hide the details that give a fake away.
Never check something using the same message that reached you. Call the number printed on your card, open the app yourself, or ask the person face to face — break the loop the scammer controls.
In real life: A “bank agent” calls about fraud on your account. Hang up and call the bank yourself; the real one will understand.
A one-time code, PIN or password is a key to your money. No real bank, mobile-money agent or official will ever ask you to read one out or type it because they told you to.
In real life: “Read me the code we just sent to reverse the payment.” Sharing it reverses nothing — it hands over your account.
Synthetic fraud repeats itself: faces that don’t sit right in the light, voices that pause in odd places, documents whose numbers don’t add up. Learn a handful and you catch most of them.
In real life: A “relative” calls in distress asking for money. Ask something only they would know — a voice clone can’t improvise.
Scammers work by isolating you — “keep this between us”, “don’t tell anyone”. Telling one trusted person breaks the spell, and there’s no shame in checking. The people who ask are the ones who don’t get caught.
In real life: Before you send anything, tell a friend or relative what’s happening. Saying it out loud is often enough to see the trap.
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Put it into practice
A detector helps with just one step — knowing the tells. Treat its result as one more signal to weigh, never a final verdict. The habit around it is what protects you when the tools can’t keep up.
Check a photo, screenshot or document image for AI-generation and edits.
Open the checker VoicesUpload or record a short clip to check whether a voice is synthesised.
Open the checker DocumentsCheck a bank statement, receipt or payment screenshot for tampering.
Open the checker