5 new scams you and your family need to be aware of (and how to prevent them)

The phone rings. It sounds exactly like your grandson's voice, shaking and scared. He says he is in jail and needs $3,000 in gift cards to get out. But it is not your grandson. It is a criminal using artificial intelligence, and this is happening to families in Tyler right now.

Scams have always been around, but in the last year or two they have gotten smarter, faster, and a lot more convincing. Today I want to walk you through five of the newest ones I am seeing reported, including three that are spreading quickly across East Texas. For each one I will tell you exactly what to look for and what to do.

None of this is your fault. These are highly sophisticated criminal operations. The best protection is simply knowing they exist.

🔍 Scam #1: The AI Voice Cloning Call

This one is brand new and it is genuinely scary. Criminals can now use artificial intelligence to copy someone's voice from just a few seconds of audio, like a video posted on Facebook or a short voicemail. They use that cloned voice to call you pretending to be your child, grandchild, or close friend.

The caller sounds completely real. They say they are in trouble, maybe a car accident, maybe arrested, maybe sick in a hospital. Then a second person gets on the line, usually someone pretending to be a lawyer, police officer, or hospital worker. They tell you not to say anything to anyone while this process is underway, and they need money fast, usually through gift cards or a wire transfer.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, AI-assisted fraud like this has caused millions of dollars in losses and is growing rapidly. The AARP Fraud Watch Network has flagged it as one of the top emerging threats for older Americans.

🔍 Scam #2: QR Code Phishing (They Call It Quishing)

You have probably seen QR codes, those little square barcodes you point your phone camera at. Restaurants use them for menus. Businesses use them to direct you to websites. They are everywhere now, and criminals are taking advantage of that.

In this scam, a fake QR code is placed somewhere you trust. It might be a sticker placed over a real QR code at a parking lot payment machine. It might be in an email pretending to be from your bank. When you scan it, instead of going to a real website, it takes you to a fake one that looks exactly like your bank, Medicare, or Amazon login page. You type in your username and password, and now the scammer has it.

The FBI issued a public warning about malicious QR codes, noting that criminals are specifically placing fake codes over payment kiosks in parking garages and city lots.

🔍 Scam #3: The Fake Bank Fraud Alert Two-Step Attack

This one uses two steps to trick you, and it looks incredibly real at first glance. First, you get a text message that says something like: Chase Bank Alert: Suspicious activity detected on your account. Reply STOP to block transaction. Maybe you do not reply, or maybe you do. Either way, shortly after you get a phone call.

The person calling says they are from your bank's fraud department. They sound professional. They may even read back your last few transactions to sound legitimate, because scammers can buy data. Then they tell you that to protect your account they need to verify your information, and they ask for your full debit card number, expiration date, and PIN.

The FTC warns specifically about this text-plus-call combination tactic because it is designed to lower your defenses one step at a time.

🔍 Scam #4: The Hacked Facebook I'm Stranded Message

You open Facebook and see a message from a close friend or family member. It says something like: Hey, I am stuck in another city. My wallet was stolen and I need $200 to get a bus ticket home. I will pay you back tomorrow, I promise. Can you send it to me on Cash App or Zelle?

This feels urgent and it comes from someone you know and trust. But their account has been hacked. The scammer is sending that same message to every person on that friend list. If you send the money, it is gone. Your real friend has no idea this is happening until they log back in.

You can read more about how a local hero helped stop a similar situation in our post about the Dollar General manager who helped stop a $500 scam on a Tyler veteran. These things happen here.

🔍 Scam #5: The Fake Medicare Benefit Card

Every year around Medicare open enrollment, and also randomly throughout the year, seniors get calls from someone claiming to be from Medicare or the Medicare benefits office. They say you are eligible for a new benefit, a new card with updated coverage, or an extra payment. All they need is your Medicare number to activate it.

Your Medicare number is essentially your Social Security number for health care. Once someone has it, they can file fraudulent claims in your name, getting paid for procedures you never received. The official Medicare website makes it clear: Medicare will never call you uninvited asking for your number.

🔍 Your 5-Step Defense Plan

Knowing a scam exists is good. Having a plan ready so you do not have to think under pressure is better. Here are five things you can do right now that will protect you from almost every scam you will ever face.

📞 Who to Call If You Have Been Targeted

If you believe you have been contacted by a scammer, or if you sent money and realized it was a scam, call one of these organizations right away. Acting quickly can sometimes stop or recover a fraudulent transaction.