LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — If you’ve ever stopped mid-scroll on social media and wondered whether an image, ad, or video was real, you’re not alone.
Artificial intelligence is blurring the line between fact and fiction, and scammers are using that confusion to their advantage.
WATCH | Shakeria Hawkins brings you ways you can protect yourself:
From fake product ads to convincing emails and videos, AI-powered scams are becoming harder to spot and they’re affecting people of all ages.
“I can look at it and go, ‘Oh, that’s easy, that’s AI,’” said Thomas Montez.
But even Thomas admits it’s not always so simple. Sometimes, he says, it’s his 11-year-old son Zack who catches what adults miss.
“He showed me this video and I said, ‘Dad, that’s AI,’” Zack recalled. “And he goes, ‘No it’s not.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah… it is.’”
Experts say families like the Montezes are far from alone.
“From a consumer perspective, what’s really important is a heightened sense of awareness,” said Gary Orenstein, Chief Customer Officer at Bitwären.
Orenstein says AI-powered scam ads on social media have cost Americans more than $2.7 billion. Fake images, fake product reviews, and convincing emails are popping up everywhere — and scammers are getting more sophisticated.
“What makes AI so convincing is that it knows what’s popular, how things are designed, and can recreate that with a level of skill that wasn’t available before,” Orenstein said.
Unlike older scams filled with typos and broken links, today’s AI-driven scams often look polished, professional, and personal, making them much harder to detect.
So how can consumers protect themselves?
Experts recommend slowing down before clicking, double-checking website URLs and email addresses, and never trusting ads or reviews at face value. While there are free tools that can help identify AI-generated content, experts say skepticism remains the strongest defense.
As AI technology advances, scammers are moving faster, and the cost of falling for a scam can be more than just money.
“I bought something for my daughter one time and it never showed up,” Montez said.
While Thomas says he’s still learning how to spot AI, he says his son is already one step ahead.
“If it’s on TikTok, it’ll say ‘AI-generated,’” Zack said. “You just have to look closely.”
Another major red flag: urgency.
Experts warn that messages pushing phrases like “act now,” “limited time,” or “your account is locked” are often designed to pressure you into making a quick and costly mistake.
