AI Scams: Protecting Yourself and Others

AI-powered scams are no longer science fiction—they're the daily reality facing you and your patrons, students, and colleagues.

In 2024, AI-enabled fraud extracted $16 billion from victims, with adults over 60 losing nearly $5 billion to scams that are virtually indistinguishable from legitimate communications. Voice cloning technology needs only three seconds of audio to impersonate anyone. Deepfake video calls convinced a finance employee to transfer $25.6 million to scammers posing as company executives. The phishing emails we've been trained to spot—with their typos and generic greetings—have been replaced by AI-generated messages with perfect grammar that reference specific projects and personal details. As trusted information professionals, librarians and teachers are on the front lines of this crisis, both as potential targets and as the people your community turns to for guidance.

This webinar will equip you with practical knowledge you can use immediately and share with your community. You'll learn how voice cloning and deepfake technology actually work (demystified for non-technical audiences), why even smart, cautious people fall for these scams (the psychology behind effective deception), and most importantly, the simple, low-tech defenses that still work remarkably well. We'll cover the five major AI scam types you're most likely to encounter—from "virtual kidnapping" calls to AI-enhanced phishing to fraudulent investment schemes—and provide specific protocols like family "safe words," callback verification, and liveness tests for suspicious video calls. 

Whether you're concerned about personal safety, institutional vulnerability, or your professional responsibility to guide your community through this new landscape, this webinar offers the clarity and actionable strategies you need. AI scams represent a fundamental shift in information literacy—and as information professionals, you're uniquely positioned to help others navigate it. Join us to transform anxiety into agency, and knowledge into protection.

The recording and presentation slides will be available to all who register. You'll also receive a one-page reference guide, implementation checklists, and concrete strategies for protecting yourself, your institution, and the people you serve.

ALSO INCLUDED:

PROTECTING YOURSELF AND OTHERS FROM AI SCAMS

The forthcoming 200-page report from Library 2.0 (with an audiobook version) will be included with your registration. 

In an era where seeing is no longer believing, "Avoiding AI Scams" is the essential survival guide for our synthetic reality. Right now, scammers are using artificial intelligence to clone voices with just three seconds of audio, create deepfake videos indistinguishable from reality, and craft personalized attacks that exploit your deepest vulnerabilities. The $16 billion stolen through AI-powered fraud in 2024 represents more than money—it's a fundamental assault on the trust infrastructure that makes modern life possible. This book provides the critical knowledge that stands between you and devastating loss, whether you're a parent whose child's voice could be weaponized, a professional whose executive's face could be deepfaked to authorize fraudulent transfers, or anyone with elderly relatives targeted by AI-powered manipulation. Drawing on documented cases like the mother who heard her daughter's cloned voice begging for help and the company that lost $25.6 million to deepfaked executives on a video call, this comprehensive guide delivers practical, immediately actionable strategies that work regardless of technological sophistication. You'll learn the safe word protocol that defeats voice cloning, the verification habits that expose deepfakes, and the psychological awareness that helps you recognize manipulation before it's too late. The old warning signs—poor grammar, suspicious emails—are extinct. The defenses you need now are here, explained clearly and ready to implement today, because the question isn't whether you'll be targeted—it's whether you'll be prepared when it happens.

CALL Training Partner: Library 2.0

Track: AI

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