"Grandma, It’s Me!” ... Or Is It?

You’re sipping your morning coffee when the phone rings. It’s your grandson. He sounds panicked. Says he’s in trouble and needs money to avoid jail. Fast!

Your heart races. You’re ready to help. But wait… something’s off. His voice is just a little too perfect. No background noise. No hesitation. Just smooth, robotic calm.

Welcome to the age of AI scams, where fraudsters don’t need to guess your passwords. They just clone your loved ones!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is doing amazing things: helping doctors diagnose faster, making cars smarter, even writing poetry. But scammers? They’ve found a way to use AI for some seriously shady stuff. Stuff that seems like science fiction.

We’re talking:

• Deepfake videos that look like real people saying things they never said.
• Voice cloning that mimics your family, your boss, even your favorite celebrity.
• Emails and messages that sound eerily familiar because they were crafted by AI bots trained on your online footprint.

It’s like cybercrime got a tech upgrade. And unfortunately, the usual red flags, bad grammar, weird formatting, are disappearing. These scams are slick.

So What Can You Do?
First, don’t panic. You’ve got tools and instincts that scammers can’t fake.

If something feels off, trust that feeling. Hang up. Don’t click. Verify through a separate channel. And yes, multi-factor authentication is your best friend.

Also? Stay curious. Stay informed. And stay connected to people who know what’s coming next.

AARP suggests tapping into your inner skeptic and follow these three simple steps if something feels off: pause, reflect and protect. Intentionally act to step back and reflect on what you might know about the situation with which you are confronted. Remember that call from your grandson? You might consider whether it makes sense that your grandson is calling you and not his parents, and that he’s in jail 2,000 miles away when you just had dinner with him yesterday. This intentional step back lets your brain move away from emotion, which can cloud your thinking, and engage with logic. Use the active pause and reflection to end communication and call your grandson directly. You might find that he was at home and asleep. In that case, you’ve protected yourself and your money from a fraud attempt.

Let’s Decode the Future—Together
This is why AARP New Jersey is hosting the 2025 Fraud Summit: Decoded – How AI Is Changing Fraud. It’s not just another seminar. It’s your chance to get ahead of the curve.

We’ll break down how AI scams work, how to spot them, and how to protect yourself and your community. You’ll hear from experts, get real-world tips, and leave feeling empowered, not overwhelmed.

Here's the details:

• When: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
• Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Pines Manor, 2085 Lincoln Highway, Edison, NJ

And did we mention? It’s FREE and you do not need to be an AARP member to participate. Parking is free on site. Breakfast and lunch will be served. But, seats are limited so registration is required. You don’t want to miss this.

Click here to register. Bring a friend. Bring your questions. Bring your curiosity.

Because in this new digital world, staying safe starts with staying smart.