Scams
National Trading Standards has put out its first AI scam watchlist, warning that criminals are using AI to polish tricks that already exist. Think slick fake shops posing as family-run UK firms, cloned voices and faces faking an “emergency”, and phishing texts with zero spelling mistakes. Which? says hunting for bad spelling and grammar no longer works, because AI writes clean, convincing text. Full story from BBC News.
The move
Stop trusting “it looks real” — if a message, call or video asks for money or details, check with that person on a number or account you already have, and before buying from a shop you’ve never heard of, look it up yourself and see what other people say about it.
Practise it: Swipe to Survive →
For teachers
Talking about this in class
Most students will tell you they can spot a scam because of bad spelling or a dodgy logo. That’s exactly the habit this story breaks: AI now writes clean text and builds polished fake shops in minutes, so the surface giveaways are gone. Ask the class what’s left to check once “it looks real” stops meaning “it is real”, and steer them towards the check AI can’t get past: whether the request stands up when you check it through a channel you already trust.
Try a quick scenario. Someone in Year 10 gets a voice note from a “mate” asking them to send money fast because they’re stuck. It sounds exactly like them. What should they do before sending anything? A good answer isn’t “listen harder for something off”; it’s ringing that friend on the number they already have, and not acting on the pressure to hurry.
The habit to land: slow down when something rushes you, and verify through a route you chose, not the one the message handed you. Swipe to Survive practises telling scam DMs from real ones using pressure and asks, not spelling.
If a student says they’ve already paid or shared card details, lead with reassurance: they’re not in trouble and it isn’t their fault. Then the practical step: contact the bank straight away, and follow your school’s usual route for passing on a concern.