AI-written phishing and safe verification

When you finish, you can spot polished fake messages and use a second channel to verify requests.

Phishing, polished

Phishing is when someone pretends to be a trusted organization or person to get your passwords, codes or money. AI helps scammers write messages with correct grammar, a friendly tone and personal details taken from public pages.

So do not judge by spelling. Judge by what the message asks you to do. Does it want you to click, log in, send a code, pay, or keep a secret? Those are the moments to stop.

Never share the code

Codes sent by text or app are meant for you only. A real bank, shop or support agent should never need you to read a security code out to them. If someone asks, treat it as a scam, even if they know your name and your recent activity, and contact the organization on its official number.

Also be careful with links and attachments. Instead of clicking, open the app or type the website address yourself. For work messages, use the contact details in your company directory, not the ones in the message.

The second channel rule

Whenever a message asks for money, codes or sensitive information, verify it using a different channel than the one it arrived on. Got an email from your boss asking for gift cards? Call or message your boss in person or on the usual chat. Got a text from a delivery firm? Open the official app.

Weak: replying to the message to ask if it is real. The scammer will say yes. Strong: contacting the real person or organization independently.

A worked example

Kwame, an accounts clerk in Accra, receives an email from his manager asking him to pay a new supplier urgently and keep it quiet. The writing is flawless. He recognizes secrecy and urgency, and rings his manager on the office line. The manager knew nothing. The company freezes the payment and warns the team.

One calm call stopped a loss. Build the habit now, before you need it.

Practice now

Write a short script you can use at work or home to verify a request on a second channel.
Ask an AI tool to rewrite a real scam message you received into a list of its tricks. Keep personal details out of what you paste.

Use any AI assistant you have. Do not paste private, client or patient information into it.

Check yourself

1. Which request is always a red flag?

2. Why is checking spelling no longer enough?

3. What is the second channel rule?

Ask the AI tutor

Ask anything about this lesson, in any language. The tutor is an AI: it can be wrong, and it never needs your personal details.

Next lesson: Protecting older relatives and reporting scams

AI-drafted. Checked by an automated validator and a separate AI reviewer; a person has not read every lesson. Translations and tutor answers are AI-made. Found a mistake? Tell us. AI can be wrong. General information only, not professional advice. Not affiliated with any AI company named. Current University is not accredited.