Scam safety · Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham & Thanet
How to spot the new AI scams, and what to do about them
Criminals now use AI to copy voices, fake faces on video calls and write messages without the old spelling mistakes. This two-hour session at your home explains how those tricks work, switches on the protections already on your phone and email, and leaves your household with a plan everyone knows. It's calm and practical, and family are welcome to join in.
£149 · 2 hours at home
Home visits across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham and Thanet. Evenings and weekends by arrangement.
How the tricks work
Knowing the method takes most of the fear out of it.
Cloned voices
Software can copy a person's voice from recordings, such as videos posted online. The call sounds like a relative in trouble or a boss in a hurry. The giveaway is the pressure: money, a code or secrecy, right now.
Deepfake video calls
Faces can be faked live, too. In January 2024 a finance worker at Arup's Hong Kong office made 15 transfers totalling HK$200 million (about US$25m, roughly £20m at the time) after a video call where the 'CFO' and colleagues were deepfakes; police described it in February 2024 and Arup confirmed it in May 2024.
AI-written messages
Scam texts and emails used to give themselves away with poor spelling. AI writes them fluently, in any tone, so look hard at what the message asks you to do, not at how well it's written.
Read the researchThe single most useful step: a family safe word
Agree a word or phrase with your family that a stranger couldn't guess or find online, and keep it off social media. If a call or message claims to be one of you and asks for money or help, ask for the word. A real relative will know it; a clone won't.
The idea works at the top of big companies too. In July 2024 a Ferrari executive stopped a cloned-voice call from someone posing as the chief executive by asking which book he had recently recommended. My guide to setting up a family safe word has the details.
What we do in the two hours
-
A plain explanation
How voice cloning, deepfakes and AI-written messages work, with real examples and no scare stories. -
Your household's safe word
Agreed together, along with who rings whom when something feels wrong. -
Call protections
Whatever your phone offers switched on, such as screening for unknown callers, on supported models. -
Email and text filters
Your spam filters checked, and how to report a scam text or email so it helps stop the next one. -
A privacy check
Who can see your posts, photos and videos online, since public clips give voice cloners something to copy. -
A plan on paper
Your printed guide includes a one-page sheet for beside the phone: who to call, and the questions to ask before paying anyone.
Who to contact, and when
Keep this somewhere you'll find it in a hurry.
| What happened | What to do |
|---|---|
| An unexpected call about your bank account or money | Hang up and dial 159. It connects customers of more than 99% of the UK's retail bank current accounts with their bank. |
| A suspicious text message | Forward it to 7726 (free on most networks), then delete it. |
| A suspicious email | Forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, run by the National Cyber Security Centre. |
| You've paid a scammer or shared bank details | Ring your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card, then report it. |
| Reporting a scam or fraud | Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025: reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. |
Numbers and services checked October 2026. Report Fraud covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
If the worst happens
Scams catch careful, clever people, and there's no shame in it. UK Finance's latest annual report found that losses to authorised push payment scams, where someone is tricked into sending money themselves, reached £576.4 million in 2025, up 19% on the year before. The same report says criminals are using AI to make impersonation scams more convincing.
If you've sent money by bank transfer from a personal account, tell your bank as soon as you can. Since October 2024 a mandatory reimbursement scheme has covered these scams for Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers, up to £85,000 per claim, with claims allowed up to 13 months after the payment. In its first year, 88% of the money lost in cases it covered was paid back.
For the bigger picture, read my research on AI voice-cloning scams and how criminals are using AI. The session costs £149 for two hours, with your printed guide and two weeks of phone help, so you can ring me if something odd turns up. To include a partner, parents or neighbours, the friends and neighbours session covers up to four people for £199.
Questions people ask
How can I tell if a call is a cloned voice?
Often you can't tell by ear, so don't rely on it. Watch for pressure, secrecy and requests for money or codes, then hang up and ring the person back on a number you already have, or ask for your family safe word.
What should I do if my bank rings me out of the blue?
Hang up and dial 159, which connects customers of more than 99% of the UK's retail bank current accounts with their bank. Don't use any number the caller gives you.
Where do I report a scam in the UK?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. Scam texts go to 7726 and suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Will my bank refund me if I'm scammed?
For bank transfers from a personal account, often yes. The reimbursement rules cover up to £85,000 per claim if you claim within 13 months, so tell your bank straight away.
Will you need to see my bank account?
No. I never ask for passwords, PINs or bank details, and I don't touch online banking. Where a setting needs a password, you type it yourself.
Can my family come to the session?
Yes, and it helps when everyone hears the same plan. For up to four people in one home, the friends and neighbours session is £199.
Who you'll learn with
I'm Ross Hayes, and I live in Herne Bay. I come to you, we use your own phone, tablet or computer, and I explain things in plain English. I never ask for your passwords or bank details, family are welcome to sit in, and there's no selling on the day.
Start with a free 15-minute phone chat, so I can check what you'd like to learn and which device you use.
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