AI Scams Are on the Rise. What Should You Do to Avoid Getting Fooled?
AI privacy and surveillance are no longer just concerns for the future—they’re everyday risks.
Whether you like it or not, artificial intelligence is now part of your life: powering search engines with sophisticated algorithms, filtering social feeds, providing you with targeted ads and more. Behind the scenes, AI is being used to quietly analyze your behavior, scan your devices and collect personal data—often without your knowledge.
And now, AI scams are catching up. From deepfakes to voice clones and hyper-personalized phishing, these threats are becoming more convincing and harder to spot.
In this blog, you’ll get the low-down on 10 free and paid tools that can help protect your data and privacy from the next wave of AI-powered scams.
Then vs. Now: How AI Made Scams Smarter
Not so long ago, scammers had to rely on time-consuming manual research to gain enough information about their targets to try to dupe them. Either that, or they would send out broad, generic messages in hopes that someone would fall for the bait. Phishing emails were often riddled with typos and awkward phrasing, with these red flags generally making them easy to spot.
Now, AI has taken scams to a new level of sophistication. Scammers can use AI technology to process massive amounts of public data in seconds, such as social media activity, online behavior and breached credentials. This allows scammers to create hyper-personalized messages and emails that are written with conversational flair and depth.
With deepfake technology and voice cloning, even phone calls and video messages from celebrities or loved ones can be convincingly faked. The result? Scamming is now easier, faster, more targeted and far harder to detect than before.
What Are the New Types of AI-Driven Scams?
Let’s take a look at 5 of the most popular and advanced AI scams that you could encounter in 2025:
- AI-Generated Phishing Emails
By using AI to create emails with natural language that appear authentic and trustworthy, scammers often attempt to trick recipients into visiting fraudulent websites, downloading malware as an attachment, or revealing sensitive information like bank details. Emails can also be generated so they appear to come from someone you know, with more advanced scams using their same manner of communication. - Conversational Phishing
If you reply to a phishing message, AI-driven chatbots can take over the conversation in real time. In these scams, AI can analyze previous conversations to mimic the natural style of human interaction and help it to respond believably. The goal is to build trust and eventually trick you into clicking malicious links or revealing personal information. - Romance Scams
Also known as “pig butchering”, this type of scam uses AI to help perpetrators build deep emotional connections online, often over weeks or months. The goal is to build a level of trust that will potentially allow scammers to learn all kinds of sensitive information and exploit victims financially. - Deepfake Scams
Using AI to mimic voices or create hyper-realistic video impersonations, scammers can pose as trusted figures, such as a boss or family member. These scams normally involve making urgent requests for money via phone or video calls, but it’s also possible for victims to be persuaded to share sensitive information or even commit fraud. - Social Media Bots
Lastly, AI-powered bots can impersonate real users to spread disinformation, manipulate public opinion or exploit trust for scams and phishing attacks.
Awareness Alone Isn’t Enough to Combat AI Scams
Staying informed about AI scams is important, but traditional awareness campaigns aren’t enough to protect people from operations that evolve and adapt so quickly. By the time a scam is public knowledge, a smarter version is already in circulation.
To stay ahead, it’s essential to combine awareness with action. That means using trusted tools that proactively protect your data and privacy, thereby reducing your exposure to scams you haven’t heard of yet.
10 Free & Paid Tools to Protect Yourself from AI Scams
AI scams rely on the personal data we leave behind, whether that’s our online activity, location or conversations. The following tools help you to take control of personal data that would otherwise feed attacks, making it harder for scammers to target you in the first place.
#1 Data-in-Use Protection – BestCrypt Data Shelter (Free)
BestCrypt Data Shelter is a free tool that protects data-in-use by keeping selected folders secure from unauthorized users and programs. This means that even if malicious software manages to get on your system, it won’t be able to open or read protected files. By automatically analyzing folder access history and providing personalized security recommendations, BestCrypt Data Shelter also offers protection against ransomware and other cyber threats.
As an alternative, you can also use Microsoft’s Controlled Folder Access, which is free with Microsoft Defender Antivirus, for basic ransomware protection.
#2 Windows Privacy – BCWipe Privacy Guard (Free)
Your devices store tons of hidden tracking information, which are ideal entry points for spyware and AI profiling tools. BCWipe Privacy Guard disables Windows 11 & 10’s default tracking features (Recall included), securing your data from unwanted monitoring. You can also use the tool to apply Jetico’s recommended privacy settings with a single click.
#3 Web Browser – Brave (Free)
Brave is a privacy-minded browser than allows you to minimize what can be scraped from your browsing activity. Brave automatically blocks trackers, fingerprinting attempts, ads and invasive scripts as standard. With features like fingerprint randomization, Brave helps keep your online behavior private and away from AI-powered scam networks.
#4 Browser Extension – Malwarebytes Browser Guard (Free)
For those who prefer to use Google Chrome, Firefox or something else over privacy-first options like Brave, Malwarebytes can be added as a free browser extension, giving your sessions an added layer of security without the need to switch browsers. Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocks malicious websites, phishing links, scam pop-ups and trackers in real time.
#5 Search Engine – DuckDuckGo (Free)
While major search engines collect data to build detailed profiles, DuckDuckGo lets you search anonymously. DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that doesn’t track your searches or store your personal info, offering a simple way to search the web without being watched or profiled.
#6 Password Manager – Password Safe (Free)
Weak, reused passwords are easy prey for AI-assisted brute force attacks. Password Safe is a free, open-source password manager designed by security expert Bruce Schneier. It stores your credentials locally, helping you maintain strong, unique passwords for each account.
#7 Email Security – Proton Mail (Free)
ProtonMail is an encrypted email service that ensures only you can see your emails, unlike more popular providers like Gmail and Outlook that can scan the contents of your emails and attachments. A more private inbox means less personal information for AI scams to mine.
#8 File Encryption – BestCrypt Container Encryption (Paid, Free Trial Available)
File encryption locks your sensitive files away from prying eyes, even if an attacker gets into your system. BestCrypt Container Encryption not only protects your files but also safeguards metadata, which can reveal crucial information. Keeping your data secure at every level makes it much harder for AI-driven attacks to succeed.
#9 Data Deletion – BCWipe (Paid, Free Trial Available)
AI scams don’t just rely on your current data—they can also weaponize your past activity. BCWipe ensures your deleted files are wiped beyond forensic recovery by removing user activity, temporary files, shadow copies, recently opened documents and registry entries. Nothing is left behind for AI algorithms to analyze, repurpose or exploit later.
#10 Bonus Tools (Free)
Ask Google to Remove Personal Info: Request removal of personal information like addresses or phone numbers from search results.
Google Account Alerts: Get notified if suspicious logins or breaches happen.
Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email or password has appeared in any known data breaches, helping you to spot vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
Final Tips to Stay Ahead of AI Scams
Even with powerful tools on your side, your habits matter just as much. AI scams often succeed not because of weak systems, but because of human error. That’s why it’s essential to stay mindful and follow these best practices:
Be Cautious with What You Share
AI thrives on data. The more personal information you share online, especially on social media, forums and AI chat tools, the easier it becomes for scammers to craft believable and targeted attacks.
- Avoid posting personal milestones like travel plans or birthdays that could be used for social engineering.
- Don’t overshare in public prompts on AI tools like ChatGPT or image generators—photos and metadata can sometimes reveal more than you intend.
How to Spot an AI Scam: Red Flags to Watch Out For
As scammers get more sophisticated, so should your instincts. Stay prudent and keep these general tips in mind:
- Verify suspicious messages or calls, especially those involving urgency, money requests or password resets.
- Be wary of unsolicited contact, especially from people claiming to be authority figures or loved ones.
- Look out for inconsistencies, poor grammar or unnatural phrasing. While AI is improving, it’s not perfect.
- Use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible.
- AI scams evolve rapidly, so try to stay up-to-date on this topic!
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Want more information on using Jetico’s tools to help protect you from AI-driven scams? Contact our Data Protection Specialist today to learn more, or to request a free trial or demo.