A text that seems off? How AI changed scam texts, and what to do
Also called smishing. The most common: fake delivery and redelivery-fee texts, fake toll bills, fake bank fraud alerts, job 'task' texts and 'wrong number' texts.
Don't tap the link and don't reply. If it claims to be your bank, a delivery or a toll, check by opening the company's own app or calling a number you already have. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), report it in your messaging app, and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Bad spelling and clumsy grammar used to give scam texts away. The FBI warns that criminals now use AI to write persuasive messages faster, for more people, and to translate them without the errors that once exposed foreign scammers. The tell is no longer how a text is written. It's what the text wants you to do.
What to do, step by step
- Don't tap, don't reply.Not even "STOP". The FTC's advice is never to click links in, or respond to, unexpected texts.
- Check it another way.Open the bank's, carrier's or delivery company's own app, or call a number you already have. Never use the link or number in the text.
- Forward it to 7726.That spells SPAM. It helps your mobile carrier block similar messages. Then use the report-junk option in iMessage or Google Messages.
- Report it to the FTC.At ReportFraud.ftc.gov. It takes a few minutes and feeds the data law enforcement uses.
- If you clicked and typed anything in, act now.Change that password, and anywhere you reuse it. Call your bank to block the card. If you shared ID details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. If you sent money, call your bank and report it at ic3.gov.
Warning signs
- Urgency
- Pay now, verify now, your account will close today.
- A link or a number to call
- Real companies rarely need you to act through a link in a text.
- Moving your money 'to keep it safe'
- No real bank asks you to move money to protect it.
- 'Let's move to WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram'
- The FBI says impersonators use texts to move victims onto encrypted apps, sometimes using AI voice messages that sound like officials.
- Perfect, friendly, patient writing
- AI makes scam messages fluent and lets them keep chatting for weeks. Good writing isn't a sign of a real person.
What one looks like (made-up example)
- No company you can check, and no tracking number you recognise
- A deadline, so you act before you think
- A link to 'update your details', which is where your card number goes
The five most common scam texts
- Fake package delivery problems
- A 'redelivery fee' link pretending to be the Postal Service or a courier. The most-reported text scam of 2024.
- Fake jobs ('task scams')
- Easy pay to rate apps or products, until you have to send money to 'finish your tasks' or unlock earnings.
- Fake fraud alerts
- Your 'bank' or Amazon about a suspicious charge, then pressure to move your money somewhere 'safe'. It goes to the scammer.
- Bogus toll notices
- An unpaid-toll balance with a link that collects card and Social Security numbers.
- 'Wrong number' texts
- A friendly mistake that turns into a friendship, then an investment tip. Losses often run to tens of thousands of dollars.
If you already paid or shared something
Speed matters most. What to do depends on how you paid, per the FTC:
| You paid or gave… | Do this now |
|---|---|
| Credit card | Call the card issuer right away and ask to reverse the charge. |
| Debit card | Call your bank or credit union right away and ask for a refund. |
| Bank transfer, including Zelle | Call your bank or credit union right away and ask them to reverse the transfer. |
| Payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal) | Report it in the app right away and ask them to reverse the payment. |
| Wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram) | Call the wire company right away, tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund. |
| Gift card | Call the company that issued the card, say a scammer has the number and PIN, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and receipt. |
| Cryptocurrency | Contact the exchange or crypto-ATM operator right away, say the payment was fraud, and ask them to reverse it. |
| Cash sent by mail | Call the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455; they may be able to stop the package. For FedEx or UPS, call them. |
| A password | Change it, and anywhere else you used it, and turn on two-step login. |
| Your Social Security number | Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. |
Then report it (below). Recovery isn't guaranteed; reporting quickly gives you the best chance.
How big this is
Real cases
From the Warning Shots index of AI incidents, each dated and sourced.
- · United States. The FBI warned that impersonators sent texts and AI-cloned voice messages posing as senior US officials, moved targets onto encrypted apps, then texted their contacts too. It later said the campaign dated back to 2023. (CyberScoop)
- · Louisiana. A fan lost $10,000 to a fake 'Bon Jovi' who sent AI videos that said her name. The money requests began seven months after first contact. (Fox News)
- · Nigeria. Police say a 23-year-old used AI voice cloning and deepfakes to pose as Elon Musk in a crypto 'trading' scam. (Blueprint (Nigeria)) The case file →
Where to report it
- Your mobile carrier: forward the text to 7726
- The FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- The FBI, if you lost money: ic3.gov
- If your identity was stolen: IdentityTheft.gov
Questions people ask
Is it safe to reply STOP to a scam text?
No. The FTC's advice is not to respond to unexpected texts at all. Report the text and delete it. Replying STOP is for real companies you signed up with.
Can AI write scam texts?
Yes. The FBI warns that criminals use generative AI to write persuasive messages faster and for more people, and to translate them without the spelling and grammar mistakes that once gave them away.
What does forwarding to 7726 do?
7726 spells SPAM. Forwarding a scam text to it reports it to your mobile carrier, which uses the reports to block similar messages.
I clicked the link. What now?
If you didn't type anything, close it and don't go back. If you entered a password, change it everywhere you use it. If you entered card or bank details, call your bank. If you entered ID details such as a Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov.
Are 'wrong number' texts scams?
Often. A friendly text to the wrong person is the classic opening of long scams that end in a fake investment. The FTC says these can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Where do I report a scam text?
Forward it to 7726, use the report button in your messaging app, and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you lost money, also report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
Related
Sources
- FTC Data Spotlight: Top text scams of 2024 (Apr 2025)
- FBI IC3: Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (PSA I-120324, Dec 3, 2024)
- CyberScoop: FBI says deepfake impersonation of US officials dates back to 2023 (Dec 2025)
- FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed
- FTC testimony to the Joint Economic Committee on the scam economy (Mar 25, 2026)
Spot an error or out-of-date advice? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. This page is general guidance, not legal or financial advice. In an emergency, call 911.